Adrift Star
by TheDanaDobreAKAToshiroLover
Summary: Friendships never seem to be born with a hello and a simple cup of coffee with the Winchesters. Then again, good stories aren't known to start with a hello and a cup of coffee anyway. Finding a girl that probably isn't human sleeping in your bed is a much better story starter, don't you think? Set after 5x04, AU onward. General. Cover art courtesy of the brilliant -casey from dA.
1. Tera

_This is my first Supernatural fic and is the first thing I've posted in a long while. Sorry to those people waiting on everything else, I'm just a teensy-bit hooked on Supernatural at the moment. I'm only at the 5th season, so I'd greatly appreciate no one posting any potential spoilers in the reviews. I have already pre-written the first two chapters, doing both in one day, and am totally psyched. If you want to know why, it's because these two chapters combined are worth over 6000 words. I usually can barely do 1000 in a week. _

_This is super cereal stuff for me, guys._

___This story is set between episode 5x04: The End and 5x05: Fallen Idols. Because I've only seen about half of Season 5, I might be messing with the universe a little. I have already run into one such conflict, but managed to make it work. Well, I hope I made it work, seeing as I haven't even written it down yet, but whatever._

___I hope you enjoy!_

_Now onto the housekeeping._

_I do not own Supernatural in the slightest, and have written this for my own amusement and for the potential enjoyment of others._

* * *

**Adrift Star**

**Chapter 1**

**Tera**

* * *

"What the _hell _do you think you're doing?" A brown-haired girl shrieked as she tried to untangle herself from the covers of her bed. Water dripped from the tips of her hair, making the ends fight angrily for a place on her neck. Her emerald-green eyes darted across the room, searching for an escape from the two young men that had infiltrated her room as she slept. How _dare_ they do such a thing!

Her eyes snapped onto the taller of the men, who had brown hair that hung until the bottom of his ears and a kind, soft-looking face. He gave an apologetic smile and raised his empty hands up for her to see. She wasn't looking at that, though. She watched the veins in his body turn black as her mind focused on the blood. She felt her lips curl in disgust before she could stop herself.

"You filthy _mutt,_" she hissed, feeling the cold head post press up against her back. "How'd something like you get into my room?"

The girl sniffed the liquid that was dripping from her hair, and cursed to herself when she sensed it was blessed. The two men were hunters. She glanced back at the men, who were exchanging a look that held an entire conversation she couldn't decipher. Did the holy water throw them off? Did they think she was just some human? The humans in front of her turned their heads and returned their gaze, both carefully calculative.

"You're the one that's in our room, kid." the shorter of the two men growled. His hand stealthily slithered into his jacket pocket, but her eyes caught the movement. "What the hell are you doing here?"

She stared at them, trying hard not to swear out loud. She hadn't even noticed that her comfortable bed had been replaced with a cheap, rickety one. The walls held dark tacky patterns that were meant to lighten up the room, but instead came off as something much more pathetic. How could she not have noticed such an obvious change? She wanted to sigh, but instead focused on making her face as stone-still as possible.

"Then how did I get here? Did you two kidnap me or something?" They thought she was human... hopefully. She could never tell with humans. Creatures of the supernatural were so much simpler to deal with. Pinning the blame on them might help, leave them flustered and searching for an answer. "Oh my god, I've been kidnapped! Help! Someone, please help me!"

"Wait, we didn't... crap, we didn't kidnap you! We're not going to hurt you!" the mutt stumbled over his words in panic, obviously not concerned about her not being human. A side of her non-existent heart sagged in relief. Hunters were never kind with her when they found out what she was. Neither were humans, angels, demons, ghosts, ghouls, zombies, vampires, werewolves... well, nothing really liked her.

Except Castiel.

Castiel was a very special exception.

The shorter of the two men narrowed his green eyes at her. She returned with an angry glare, trying not to flinch at the amount of scars on his soul that shone through his skin. _Poor bastard had it rough,_ she thought. _Doesn't mean I won't kill him if I have to._

She nearly missed his hand snatching itself from his coat pocket, holding in its grasp a gun. Immediately, and not a moment too soon, she lunged forward and swatted the bullet to the side. Her hand immediately cried out, but the adrenalin coursing through her body immediately dulled the pain. She instantly began rolling to the side as the shorter hunter's instincts kicked in and he shot towards her instead.

The girl's mind slowed time past its normal capacities as the metal round made its way through the air at a rate faster than her body could move. It would pierce her right shoulder. The injury wouldn't be severe, but it would limit her movement enough that she wouldn't be able to get away. She stared as the ball made its way painfully slowly towards her, thinking of the death sentence it would give her once it hit.

"Dean."

The bullet disappeared out of thin air, time sped up. Her body landed with a dull thump on the carpeted floor, void of the hole in her shoulder she had been waiting to receive. The hunters visibly jumped, turning to look at the figure that stood behind them.

_Castiel._

Her non-existent heart raced, threatening to pound its way out of her chest.

"Cas? What are you doing here?" The younger hunter turned his head so he could watch the girl from the corner of his eye as he spoke. "What's going on?"

"Dean, you mustn't hurt the child."

His familiar husky voice sent her body shivering. He had come for her, to save her. The sudden influx of emotions overwhelmed her, making her eyes water and blur his image. She shot out, faster than before, darting past the two hunters and clutching Castiel's beige coat with both hands like a lifeline.

"Castiel..." she murmured, looking up at the angel's unreadable blue eyes. A few moments of silence passed before Castiel raised one hand and placed it gently on her forehead. The contact immediately calmed her shaking body, relaxing her tense muscles, slowing her breathing and heart to normal levels.

"Hello, Tera." Castiel replied. Tera's eyes caught the look the two humans were giving her, and repositioned herself so she was partially hidden behind Castiel's right sleeve. "Did you send me to these two?"

"Yes, they are here to protect you." Castiel answered, turning to face her. "You will stay with them."

Tera frowned, her eyebrows furrowing deeply. They had just tried to _kill_ her. She would've been dead hadn't it been for Castiel. And now he expected her to stay with them? The two hunters appeared equally confused.

"I don't want to stay with the mutt and the soldier," she said, not caring that her voice came dangerously close to whining. "They tried to kill me. They're not safe." she glanced at the two men before looking Castiel in the eyes and whispering. "Their souls are ugly, Castiel. I can't look at them properly."

"C'mon man, we're right here!" Dean, the shorter human, complained. "I didn't get the memo for this job. No way I'm gonna babysit some kid."

"We require something she has that we do not. She is top priority; no demon can get to her." Tera looked up questioningly at Castiel, but he was busy staring intently at Dean. Whatever good mood she'd been able to establish crumbled. The only reason why Castiel had come to see her was because he'd been ordered to by his father. Her fingers found their way to the tips of the beige coat's sleeve and brought her face close, so the fabric tickled her cheek. Tera could feel the confounded stares of the two hunters, but couldn't care less, even though it felt as though four holes were being drilled through her head.

Dean grabbed his taller counterpart and pulled him to the corner in order to discuss in private their next move. Tera didn't move from her position, instead contenting herself by trying to hear Castiel's soft breathing through the murmurs of the humans. Castiel waited patiently as they conversed quietly.

"Fine," Dean huffed out, "Sam and I will babysit the kid. Do you know how long it'll take until she's off our hands?"

Tera, in a particularly bold move, stuck her tongue out at Dean from behind Castiel. She didn't expect him to like her, seeing as they'd both been prepared to kill each other not even five minutes before, but he could've been at least a little bit more _discreet._ Dean mirrored her, making sure to move his head side to side to make his point. Sam, the taller human, hit Dean's shoulder. Castiel's eyes widened slightly in confusion.

"I do not know how long Tera will stay with you. I must make... arrangements." Castiel hesitated. "I'd advise you to be very, very careful. Nothing can learn of her existence."

"Great," Dean growled, glancing out the motel window. "Nothing says 'ridiculously dangerous' like having to pretend you don't exist."

Tera could just barely force herself not to flinch when the softness that was against her cheek disappeared, leaving it cold and exposed. Dean and Sam looked around the room, trying to avoid the uncomfortable silence that had fallen upon them. Tera ignored them completely and returned to the bed, making sure the comforter caressed her cheek so that it was warm.

"It's eleven in the morning, what are you doing going back to sleep?" Sam's incredulous voice grated her ears. Instead of responding like a normal human being, Tera turned her back on the two hunters and burrowed deeper into the bedding.

"Hey, we're keeping you safe. You should show us a little bit of respect." Dean said gruffly from across the room. "Starting with answering our questions when we ask them." Tera closed her eyes and sighed, trying to make herself relax into the cheap bed.

* * *

"Do you think she's one of those psychics?" Dean asked Sam. The bar they were frequenting was located right next to their motel. The shades were drawn and the lights were dimmed low, as they always were. Tera was still in the room, sleeping. Dean had nearly killed the girl, but she had, somehow, been strong and fast enough to swipe the bullet to the side like it was nothing. "Did you see how fast she was moving? There's no way she's human."

"I don't know, Dean. Cas said she was important. Maybe we should call Bobby and get him to look into it for us." Sam replied. They'd have to do some of their own investigating too. Something wasn't right about Tera. Sam agreed with his brother: she definitely wasn't human.

"Man, the first day we get to relax and Cas sticks some annoying kid on our asses." Dean took a quick swig of his beer and chuckled. "I think she likes you, Sammy."

"She called me a mutt, Dean. Don't forget that she called you a soldier. What did she mean by that?" Sam asked. Tera's eyes had flickered for a moment, going from anger to fear to annoyance. If he hadn't been so good at reading people, he never would've noticed. Was she afraid of him?

"Dunno," Dean finished off his beer and stood up, stretching like a cat. "C'mon, Sam. Let's grab some dinner. Do you think our pain in the ass will like a sandwich?"

* * *

"I am _not_ eating that." Tera huffed after just one look at the offending piece of sustenance in front of her. Dean's face fell from his signature cocky smirk to an angry scowl. She raised an eyebrow. "Did you really think I was going to eat that?"

"Actually, yes, I was." Dean was quickly losing patience. Who did this chick think she was? "You can't order us around like you're the friggen Queen of Sheba. It has the most important food groups in it. Look, there's meat, and bacon, and oh, look, s'more meat." Sam sighed from across the table.

"The closest restaurant was a sub shop down the street. We can't afford to go very far and leave you unprotected." Sam explained, trying to cool down the situation.

"What are you, five? You're not joined at the hip, you idiots. Besides, I didn't see you having any trouble leaving me alone earlier." Tera rolled her eyes impatiently, crossing her arms against her chest. Her cut hand protested. It had long since stopped bleeding, and was slowly beginning to heal. Healing had never really been her area of expertise.

"You better smarten your mouth, kid." Dean growled.

"Like you? Come on, you're a little potty mouth. All I see coming from your mouth is a bunch of shit. It's almost as if you have diarrhea. Do you store all the shit you say where your brain is supposed to be? I wouldn't be surprised, seeing how fat your head it."

"You little-"

"I'm not eating your sandwich. Anything but a sandwich. Or a hamburger."

Dean glared at Tera, who sent back her own nasty face.

"Okay!" Sam's happy voice was clearly forced. "I'm going to get some food, while Dean will stay here to watch you. How's that sound, Tera?"

"I don't see how I have much of a choice." Tera replied, slumping in her seat. Sam stood up and went to the door, before turning back to look at the two of them giving each other looks of hatred.

"_Please_ don't kill each other while I'm gone."

Sam quickly shut the door, leaving the two staring at each other in silence.

"So, what's your deal?" Dean asked, reaching over and snatching her sandwich from its plate. He took a large bite. "You're in our room when we get back from a hunt. Hell, you're sleeping in _my _bed when we get back. Cas comes in right as we're getting ready to kill you and says you have to be protected cause you got something we don't. What I don't get-"

"You're wrong," Tera interrupted. "I didn't see the mu- _Sam_ pointing a gun at me. I hadn't even done anything and you were ready to kill me. What's the matter with you?" Dean took another mighty chomp from his sandwich, and then raised it like he was pointing it at her.

"Don't try and turn this around on me. I wouldn't have shot at you if you hadn't provoked me." Dean said, chewing his food loudly.

"What, do I scare you or something?" Tera crossed her arms again, her lips curling into a smirk. "Do I scare the itty-bitty hunter so badly he tries to shoot me?" Dean gave Tera a cocky grin.

"You think you're so smart, don't you? How'd you know I was a hunter? Only monsters and other hunters know about us." Dean dropped his smile. "You're just a kid, you're no hunter."

"How can you be so sure?" Tera's smirk grew. "The holy water didn't work on me, and before you try it, the salt won't either."

"Holy water and salt doesn't work, but sandwiches do? What, is the itty-bitty kiddy afraid of a little sandwich?"

Tera huffed in annoyance, glancing towards the clock.

"How old are you?" Dean asked, finishing off his sandwich.

"I dunno, how old are you?" Tera shot back.

"Do you have any family?"

"I dunno, do you?"

"What are you?"

"I dunno, what are you?"

"Did your mother drop you on the head as a baby?"

"I dunno, did yours?"

"Can you stop that?"

"I dunno, can you?"

"Agh, just shut up!"

Tera laughed for the first time in his presence. Dean paused for a moment, just listening to her laugh, before scowling angrily.

"What's so damn funny?" Dean growled, leaning back so he sat at full height.

"Oh, nothing, just how easy it is to mess with you." Tera abruptly sat up and made her way towards the bathroom.

"Hey, where the hell are you going?" Dean asked angrily.

"Taking a shower, soldier. Surely you know what that is." Tera called over her shoulder. She slammed the door, and make sure to make the _click_ of the lock loud enough for Dean to hear. "Try not to follow me in!"

"Wouldn't you like that?" Dean yelled back as the sound of running water started up.

"Nyeh, I'm Tera. Look at me, I'm being a bitch." Dean mocked under his breath."I hate sandwiches and hamburgers and think I'm-" He suddenly stopped, realizing what they'd just said. The girl was like, what, thirteen? Fourteen, at most? She wasn't even hot!

"Dude, that's nasty," Dean said out loud to himself. A faint laugh resonated from the bathroom door.

* * *

_I'm not going to lie, the entire reason why I began writing this was because of Castiel. I had a dream of him the other night and I'd only been watching him for a few days. I wanted it to be mostly Castiel and Tera, but then the Winchesters happened, and I found that it'd be much more plausible than Tera hanging around Castiel as he goes around fighting stuff. Don't worry though, I'll be sure to give you your chapter-ly dose of Castiel. _

_Also, I have no clue if I'm writing these guys right. I can't tell if I'm going overboard with Dean's immature-ness or if that's how he usually is. I can never tell when it's me writing it. Why is writing so hard?! If you find something totally wrong, seriously, don't hesitate to tell me. I don't want to make any ridiculously stupid mistakes._

_I'll be posting the second chapter when I have the third one done. I'll try to stay ahead, unlike my other stories... ._


	2. What An Ass

_Thank you for all the reads!_

_As much as I love Supernatural, it's not mine. _

* * *

**Adrift Star**

**Chapter 2**

**What An Ass**

* * *

Tera sat quietly at the table, blowing softly on the soup before sipping it from her spoon. Sam had returned with microwavable soup and a few articles of clothing, having had the foresight to get her something to wear. The clothes were mostly too large for her, (the sleeves often hung loosely around her arms, and she had to roll up her pant legs in order to avoid tripping all over them like an idiot) but they were good enough for the time being. Fortunately, Sam had been able to pick out clothes that didn't look like they were made for young children, and had gone for darker colors. He'd gotten her sneakers, but they were much too large to wear without having to stop and pick them up every time she lifted her foot. Well, not that she cared too much for shoes. They were too constricting.

Dean was splayed all over the couch, trying to find something to watch on the television, while Sam was sitting across from Tera, silently working on his laptop. Every once in a while, Tera would glance up at Sam and will the black veins in and out of existence. She'd never had the chance to practice, seeing as whenever she'd seen the black veins, she was usually distracted by a demon trying to kill her every way till Sunday, so the respite was welcome. Which brought her curiosity to the forefront of her mind. Could Sam be a demon? Was that actually Sam? Did Dean know about 'Sam'? These, to Tera, were all very disturbing questions. The thought of having another demon on her tail made her go cold.

"So, Sam, how long have you known you were a demon?"

The _click-clack_'s of Sam typing on his keyboard stopped abruptly. Tera heard Dean choke on the hamburger he had been munching on. Sam looked at Tera, his eyes managing to appear confused as they simultaneously darkened.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, studying Tera carefully. "I'm not a demon."

"You sure look like one," Tera answered, taking another sip of her warm soup. Sam's eyebrows furrowed.

"What the hell do you mean by that? That Sam looks like a demon?" Dean said angrily from his place on the couch.

"All I know is that you have demon blood running through your veins," Tera said to Sam, ignoring Dean's outburst. "It's strange. You act like a human. But then again, so do humans that are possessed by demons. Actually, I take back what I just said. It's not strange, it's downright unsettling. Are you sure you're really Sam?"

"I'm pretty sure I am myself, Tera," Sam replied slowly. "Can you see demon blood?"

"I dunno, can I?"

Dean immediately groaned. "Stop that, that's annoying. If you do that again, I'll duck tape your stupid mouth shut."

"Dean, have you flicked your partner with holy water recently?" Tera asked. "I think you should try that right now."

"I'm not flicking my brother with holy water. You can't tell me what to do," Dean said gruffly. "Sam isn't possessed."

"He's your brother?" Tera looked incredulously between the two of them. "I don't believe that he's your brother."

"Well, believe it, sister." Dean replied, mouth full of hamburger. Tera narrowed her eyes at Sam.

"Where do you keep your holy water?" Tera asked, addressing Dean.

"Oh c'mon, I already told you, he isn't possessed." Dean answered, exasperated.

"Fine, I'll find it on my own." Tera leaped from her chair and began scouring the room.

"You're a persistent little thing, aren't ya?" Dean chuckled from his spot on the couch, watching amusedly as she searched all the cupboards.

"Not persistent- careful." Tera replied, glancing over her shoulder to stare at Sam intently. "If you want to attack, now's the time, because you're not going to get another chance like this."

"I'm not going to attack you because I'm not a demon, Tera!" Sam cried. "I'm definitely not going to hurt you, either. Cas told us to protect you."

Tera turned fully to face Sam. "I trust Castiel, and Castiel obviously trusts you, but _I don't know you_. You have demon blood, for God's sake! How am I supposed to trust _you?_" Tera ended up right in front of Sam, pointing her finger at him, emerald eyes narrowed. "And let's not forget how Dean would've _killed_ me if it weren't for Castiel. You two aren't exactly worthy of my trust at this point, so don't go giving me your word that you won't kill me just because Castiel told you not to."

"You're forgetting that Cas gave you _his_ word that we'd protect you." Tera froze, turning to look at Dean. "It's not our word you're questioning, it's Cas'."

Tera stared at him lounging on the couch, her mouth opening and closing as she struggled for something to say. Her eyes burned angrily.

"I do not question Castiel's word," She answered after a few moments. "I trust him with my life-"

"Shut up and eat your sissy soup before you make yourself look even stupider." Dean interrupted her, turning up the volume of a football game. Tera glared at Dean, who started chuckling.

"Why are you so damn cheery? Your brother might be possessed and you couldn't care less!" Tera yelled over the sound of the television.

"Oh, nothing, just how easy it is to mess with you." Dean sent Tera a cheeky grin and winked.

"That's it, you are an _ass!_" Tera growled after a moment of being shocked into silence. "Sam, your brother is an _ass!_"

"I know he is," Sam chuckled, returning to his laptop. Tera looked between the two of them, who had returned to their previous activities with ease, before sighing and sitting down to finish her soup. _Human families are strange, _she concluded.

"Stupider isn't even a word," Tera huffed before sipping on her cold soup.

* * *

"Bobby, I need your help on something. Cas dumped this girl Tera on us to babysit. She's supposed to be really important to us or something, and she isn't human. Sam and I don't know what she is. Can you look her up?" Dean asked, breathing in the cold night air.

"I'm going to need more than her first name and 'she isn't human' to find out what she is, idjit." Bobby replied through the phone.

"Look, she was fast and strong enough to swat my bullet out of the air and start rolling away before I shot a second one. Not to mention she can see demon blood in Sam and called me a soldier or whatever." Dean huffed. "Tera told Cas that our souls were _ugly._"

"I bet that's the first time a lady's ever called you ugly, innit?" Bobby chuckled. "And in front of Castiel, too!"

"What about Cas?" Dean asked suspiciously.

"Oh, nothin', nothin'," Bobby sighed. "Is there anything else you can tell me?"

"Well, she knows Cas. I think she's met him before. She ran up to him the moment he poofed and he put a hand on her forehead, calming her down in less than a second. Dude, you should've seen the way she looked at him and rubbed her cheek against his coat." Dean shivered slightly as the cold began seeping into his bones. "That creeped me right out. Bobby, you've gotta help me find an off button or something. Everything that comes from her mouth is either stupid or annoying as hell."

"I'll see what I can do." Bobby answered.

"I'll talk to you later." Dean said. "Oh, and Bobby, do you mind we crash over at your place until she's gone?"

"You know you're always welcome here, Dean. Just don't try putting me on babysitting duty; that's your job." Bobby replied.

"Yeah, yeah... see you, Bobby." Dean slipped his cell phone into his pocket and scanned the motel parking lot before dragging his gaze to the cloudy night sky.

"Damn it, Cas..." Dean muttered under his breath. "What's going on?"

* * *

Castiel darted from side to side, using his wings to give him the speed needed to dodge the magical projectiles throw his way. He could feel himself tiring as the relentless wave continued on and on, forcing him on defense when he should be attacking. His mind flashed through the possibilities, each being shot down immediately.

"Did you honestly expect me to just drop what I've worked on for millennia?" A male voice chuckled maliciously from the darkness. Castiel had angelic eyes, heaven or no heaven, and could easily see the figure that melted into the black night. The man's long blonde hair nearly glowed in contrast to his surroundings. Castiel stayed silent, instead focusing on trying to break through the onslaught of magic.

"You always were a quiet one, weren't you, Castiel?" The figure asked pleasantly. "I never really did notice you. It's a pleasure to truly meet you; really, it is. I'm so glad you've joined the rest of us on Earth."

"I did not join you," Castiel replied calmly, dodging another ball of energy.

"Of course you did, little brother! You joined me the moment you chose to rebel against heaven." The figure grinned, his white teeth gleaming.

"I did not join you," Castiel repeated. "Nor do I ever plan on joining you." The figure frowned, and then disappeared from view. Suddenly, a hand had cupped his face, and he was forced to keep still. His wings flapped furiously, but were useless against the strong grip of the figure.

"Come now, little brother," the figure whispered into Castiel's ear. "Tell me where she is, and I might just let you live."

"No." Castiel answered, a hint of defiance seeping through into his voice. "I will not tell you."

Foreign feathers caressed his own, Castiel instinctively trying to twitch them away from its foul, putrid touch, but quickly they embraced his entire body. Castiel held his breath against the smell, but refused to allow his face to contort into one of disgust.

"Are you so sure about that?" The figure whispered, leaning back. Dark mauve eyes flickered dangerously. A sharp nail dug into Castiel's cheek, drawing blood that slowly dripped off his chin.

"Yes, I am sure." Castiel replied firmly. The nail removed itself from his cheek, the figure's thumb instead moving to brush his bottom lip.

"I can give you everything you've ever desired," the figure lowered its voice, revealing a husky undertone. "You don't have to doubt anymore, Castiel. You don't have to worry about what to do next, or whether it's right or wrong. We can take care of everything. You can live in peace, little brother. We can even save those human friends of yours."

"You and Lucifer, you mean." Castiel retorted quietly.

"Why, of course. Lucifer and I have had an eye on you for a while, you know." The figure winked. "We know a doubtful angel when we see one."

"I will not give you her location." Castiel somehow managed to tilt his head and stare intensely at the figure who was taken aback, making him frown slightly, before he gave Castiel another sly smile.

"You really are a lost soul, aren't you?" the figure asked, patting his face softly. "And I see that you're too obtuse to be anything otherwise."

The hand on Castiel's face burned bright and hot, and he suddenly couldn't think of anything but the pain and the raw scream that may or may not have been torn from his throat.

* * *

"Alright, ladies, time to hit the road!" Dean announced, twirling his car keys on his finger, already fully dressed. Sam easily rose and began preparing to leave, while the still lump underneath the bed covers of _Dean's_ bed groaned.

"C'mon, sleeping beauty," Dean called, grabbing the covers and trying to tug them off the bed. "Rise and shine!"

"Go away!" Tera's tired voice rose from underneath the blanket.

"No can do, sweetheart," Dean pulled the blanket clean off the bed, revealing Tera's body in a fetal position, arms hurriedly raising to cover her face from the sudden brightness. "Now get out, before I'm tempted to join you." Tera's arm dropped slightly so she could gaze at Dean with narrow eyes. She stared for several moments before raising her arm again and groaning once more.

"What is the _matter_ with you?" she whined, slowly rising and wiping the sand from her eyes. Dean smirked and made his way out to his baby.

The Impala sat in the parking space outside the room, looking as beautiful as ever. He patted his beloved car's hood before sliding himself into the front seat and turning the keys in the ignition. The engine purred to life. Dean let himself relax into the seat, still waiting patiently for the other two when they emerged from the room twenty minutes later. Tera stared at the car for a moment before jumping in the back.

"Where are we going?" Tera asked as she lied down across the backseat. Dean pulled the car out of parking lot and onto the highway, ignoring her as he tapped the beat of the greatest rock song in existence on the steering wheel.

"We're going to a friend's place," Sam answered. "We should be safer there than anywhere else."

"What's your friend's name?" Tera asked, throwing her arm over her face once more. "Is he a hunter too?"

"His name's Bobby, and yeah, he's a hunter." Sam replied. "He helps us a lot on our hunts."

"Will he kill me on sight?" Tera asked casually.

"Probably not," Sam answered just as casually, glancing out the window.

"Ha ha, very funny," Tera chuckled nervously. "That's _so_ comforting."

Classic rock filled the car, silencing all conversation. The sun slowly rose until it was at its apex.

"Dude, I'm starving." Dean remarked after driving for a few hours. "Let's stop for some pie." Sam sighed and glanced at his watch.

"It's nearly noon anyway." he replied. "Time for lunch." Dean smirked and turned at the first road-side diner.

"Go grab me some grub, Sammy!" Dean slapped his brother's back. "And don't-"

"Forget the pie, I know." Sam rolled his eyes. "Tera, do you want anything?" When she didn't answer, Sam turned to look at the backseat, and found her once again curled up in a fetal position, chest rising evenly and eyes moving rapidly underneath their lids.

"Jesus, what is she, a bear?" Dean asked, glancing nervously at her suddenly fragile-looking body.

"Maybe she runs on a nocturnal cycle. It would explain why she slept while we went to get some food yesterday." Sam replied, stepping out of the car. "I'll just get her a sandwich so she can eat it later."

"C'mon Sammy, think with your head, not your ass. She'll probably just chuck it out the window." Dean scolded Sam lightly. "Just grab her a bag of chips, I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Whatever you say," Sam called over his shoulder as he disappeared inside the diner. Dean adjusted the rear view mirror to focus on the delicate figure sleeping on his backseat and stared, examining Tera carefully before letting out a heavy sigh and glancing away.

He was getting a really bad feeling about this. Not a single complication, intervention, obstacle, whatever. If she was so important, then lots of demons would be on her ass, yet not a single one so far. Something wasn't right.

They really needed to get to Bobby's.

* * *

_I meant for Castiel to just be uselessly searching, not to get totally get his ass whupped, I swear! Well, at least I found the main antagonist. I'm looking over the first chapter and am finding so many mistakes, oh god. I think I'll just ninja-edit it, since it's the same day and people won't notice, seeing as no one has really even seen it yet._

_Shh, you didn't see anything..._

_extra: This is ridiculously late, I'm sorry! The 40 people that have read the first chapter as of now, please forgive me._


	3. Ridiculous

**Adrift Star**

**Chapter 3**

**Ridiculous**

* * *

_"Lucifer is Father's favorite, you know."_

_"Father keeps favorites?"_

_"Are you kidding me? How do you think Raphael, Michael, and Gabriel are so strong? Father created us all in His design, remember."_

_"I know that..."_

Tera jerked from her sleep, a hand slapping itself over her mouth. A familiar taste on the tip of her tongue sent the meager contents of her stomach churning like the ocean in a raging storm. She could feel the bright dream slipping away from her as she focused instead on keeping the food threatening to shove its way up her throat down, leaving her with only the foggy memory of a soft, glowing warmth.

"Tera, are you alright?" Sam asked, looking back when the sound of a strangled choke made its way from the back seat.

_Does it look like I'm alright?_ she wanted to snap, but instead her free hand waved frantically for Dean to stop the car. Her stomach was furious and growing uncomfortably hot. Tera thought back to whatever could've caused this, heart dropping when she reached the only conclusion.

The soup. She could taste the soup's acrid spices on her tongue. Had they poisoned her?

Tera felt like slapping herself. She'd trusted them too easily, let herself relax in their presence. They were strangers, even if it was Castiel who chose them to watch over her. The idea that she'd let herself even _rest_ left her infuriated at not sticking to the rules she'd been using for as long as she could remember in order to survive. Tera felt the Impala swerve abruptly as Dean yelled at her not to puke in his baby, doing her best to keep the vomit rumbling dangerously in her stomach _in her stomach._

Note to self: learn how to say no to Castiel.

Tera found herself tripping head over heels as she desperately scrambled to get out of the still moving car, narrowly avoiding the back wheel, and tumbling down into the ditch by the side of the road before her vision settled on the bright blue above. Her still-healing hand stung from all the little sharp bits of gravel embedded in its palm, while her head began to throb something fierce. Tera's back arched from the ground before she could even begin to recover from her landing, her body desperately trying to dispel the toxin inside.

"What are you, insane?" Dean's grating voice met her ears all too quickly. "You can't just jump from a moving car. You have a friggin' death wish or something?"

"Oh, shut your trap," Tera found her dry tongue moving before she could think about it.

"Dean, back off," Sam kneeled down next to Tera, worried eyes focused on her. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Tera's lips drew up into a bitter smirk as she forced her back down to the ground, trying to stop her stomach using only sheer will, if only for a moment.

"As if you don't know, you lying bastard," She spat mercilessly. "I've lived too long and fought too hard to die by the hands of some denim-wearing _idiots _like _you!"_

Her fist flew faster than even her eyes could see, connecting with Sam's nose with the chilling crunch of broken bone. Sam recoiled, his hands instinctively raising to cradle his face, giving her enough time to lurch to her feet. A thousand million different plans flashed through her aching head as she gazed towards the Impala, but were immediately silenced as a heavy object cracked her into darkness.

Dean let out a deep breath, lowering his handgun and glancing towards his brother.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Didn't think she'd be that strong," Sam admitted, trying to staunch the steady flow of blood from his nostrils using the collar of his shirt. "She sounded like she was sick."

Dean kneeled down beside Tera's body and lightly touched her sweaty forehead.

"She's burning up," Dean growled, but Sam couldn't tell if he was angry at Tera or her ailment. "I knew it wasn't gonna be that easy."

"When is it ever easy?" Sam remarked. Dean let out a quick bark of laughter before gathering Tera in is arms and heaving himself off the ground, almost stumbling when he'd overestimated the force he'd need to lift them both.

"Jesus, she's like a bag of bones," Dean cursed under his breath as he headed towards the Impala. "Pop the truck for me, Sam."

Sam swiftly obeyed, opening the back and retrieving some aspirin for her fever and gauze for his own gushing nose from their medical kit. Dean opened the door to the back seat and set the girl down carefully as not to make any more bumps on her head. He sat down and began untying one of his boots.

"The water's in the front," Dean said, tugging the shoe off. Sam stared as he handed Dean the supplies.

"Are you... taking your shoes off?" Sam asked.

"We've gotta get the fever down somehow," Dean muttered, pulling the sock off and exposing his foot to the chilly winter air, letting his toes wiggle as if celebrating their unexpected freedom. Sam shook his head and went to get the bottle of water from the dashboard before reappearing a few moments later, water in hand.

"I thought the point was to make her better, not get her sick in the Impala." Sam commented wryly.

"Good point," Dean said, and pulled Tera forward so her head stuck outside the doorframe over the ground. "Now she won't get sick in the Impala."

Sam's lips twitched in an attempt to hold back a smile, "Dude, she's never going to forgive you for this, you know that."

"She broke your nose and called us denim-wearing idiots," Dean huffed, grabbing his sock. "She had it coming. Now c'mere and hold her head for a sec." Sam shrugged and did as he was told, careful to keep her head angled slightly to the side. Dean slowly lifted the sock until it hung over her nose.

Tera abruptly began to cough, her hand snatching the sock from Dean's grasp and shoving it in his face. Dean stumbled backward in surprise, trying to get away from the offending smell that emanated off the fabric.

"_Jesus," _Sam nearly squealed when Dean barreled in between his legs, the force behind his older brother's attempt to get away making him tumble toward the side of the road. Tera watched the clumsy movement upside down through watery eyes for a moment, a shy smile sneaking its way onto her face, before attempting to sit up. She immediately regretted the decision as pain blossomed from her forehead where she had smacked it against the side of the car.

_This is what happens when I let idiots try to protect me._

"You... tried... to wake me... with... a sock..." she gasped in between breaths as she slowly lowered her head, turning it to look at the two brothers clearly. Sam's eyebrows were quirked strangely, his eyes wide, and his lips held together in a tight line. A now thin trickle of blood still emerged from his nostrils. Dean sat beside him, placing a (dare she say) comforting hand on Sam's shoulder. "What... were you... _thinking?_"

"Sorry man," Dean clapped his hand against Sam's shoulder, giving him a small rueful smile. Sam's face turned incredulous.

"You... know what? Don't even... answer that. You weren't... thinking..."

"I was thinking that I had an unconscious, bat-shit insane girl in my backseat that had a fever and nearly threw up in my baby." Dean stood up and went to Tera, handing her an aspirin and the bottle of water. "Take the damn pill so you don't self-combust."

"Fevers can't kill me," Tera regained proper use of her lungs as the pain (on _both_ sides of her head) began to settle to something more tolerable than before. "I doubt I'd go _poof_ because of a little heat."

"Humor me," Dean spat dryly, picking up the discarded sock and sitting to put it and his boot back on. Tera glared at him, but he steadily held his gaze. What was _wrong_ with this man? They poison her and then give her an aspirin because she has a wittle _fever_? She rolled her eyes towards the dark cloudy sky before popping the pill in her mouth and sending it down with a quick chug of water from the bottle.

"Do you two have _any _idea what you're doing?" she asked, rubbing her sore head and trying to will the pain away.

"Not really, no," Dean responded with a wink. "Well, we've spent enough time here. On we go!" Dean slid himself into the driver's seat as Sam gently sat down in the spot next to him.

"To Bobby's!" Dean smothered his voice in fake cheer, as if he had just announced, 'To Wonderland!'.

Tera and Sam both gave Dean an unimpressed look as he started up the car and drove on.

* * *

"What the hell did you two do to her _head?_"

"Nice to see you too, Bobby."

Tera stood with Sam and Dean flanking her sides, staring blankly at the man who looked to be in his fifties sitting in a wheelchair in the doorway.

"Your name is Bobby Singer?" She asked, holding her hand out. "My name's Tera, but I'm sure you already knew that."

Bobby raised an eyebrow as he shook her hand, marveling slightly at her grip. Not too tight, not too weak. Dean rolled his eyes childishly,

"Yeah, I heard from these two _idjits_ here." He replied smoothly. "Come on-"

Tera brushed passed Bobby before he could finish, inspecting the new area carefully.

"...in."

Dean raised his own eyebrow at Bobby, raising his arms slightly in the universal _I told you so_. Bobby just shook his head and went back into the house, Sam and Dean following right behind him. They found Tera studying the bookshelves in the library intently.

"Find something that interest ya?" Bobby asked, rolling to sit beside her.

"No, but these symbols..." her pointer finger traced the lines on the spine of one of the books on the shelf. "What are they?"

"It's a book on demons." Bobby replied. "It's written in Hebrew, so you probably wouldn't be-" Tera waved her hand dismissively, cutting off his sentence.

"Please, I can read Hebrew. I just need to know what these symbols are." Tera replied as easily as if she were asking the time of day.

"I'm pretty sure it's Hebrew," Dean answered.

"This isn't Hebrew, are you kidding me?" Tera's eyes narrowed. "These characters are sloppy, and it comes out all wrong. They may look similar, but this definitely isn't Hebrew. Might as well be an entirely different language." Tera's eyes rapidly scanned the rest of the bookshelf before landing near the top.

"Grab that book, the small white one on the top shelf." Sam followed the path of her finger and caught sight of the book. He easily reached up and grabbed it, handing it to Tera. She glanced at the title before smirking.

"_This _is Hebrew." she held the book up for the three to see. "This is the Tanakh, or rather, a book of the Tanakh named the Book of Psalms." She looked at the title once again. "Well, it's the 5th Psalms book, but you get what I mean."

Tera flipped to a random page, placed her finger on one of the lines, and began to read, all the harsh consonants sounds that made up the language meshing together flawlessly in her voice.

"The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation." Tera recited in English.

"That's... Biblical Hebrew, isn't it?" Sam asked, recognizing the passage from the Old Testament. Tera shrugged.

"This is what I call Hebrew." she answered, setting it down on the table to look at the countless other texts arranged in haphazard piles across the room. "Exactly how many books do you have, Bobby?"

"Thousands, at least." he replied. Tera's lip twitched into a hesitant smile before she grabbed a random book off the shelf and settled on the couch to read, not bothering to look up at the others when they left the room.

* * *

"She seems pretty human to me," Bobby murmured from his spot on the front porch. The fading light of late afternoon created shadows that made his hard face turn soft. Sam and Dean leaned against the railing, Sam with his arms crossed and Dean with his hands tucked in his pockets. "I mean, apart from the ungodly bumps on her head."

"I'm pretty sure Tera thought we'd made her sick when she woke up on our way over here," Sam explained, lightly touching his still tender, swollen nose. "She wasn't too happy."

"You kidding me?" Dean snorted. "She jumped out of the Impala while we were still moving and then managed to beat you up."

"She didn't beat me up," Sam said quickly. "It was a lucky shot, that's all."

"She would've kicked your ass if I hadn't stepped in but, uh," Dean smirked. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Sammy."

"You didn't _have_ to club her in the head, Dean," Sam shot back. "Tera could've been reasoned with. She seems like a pretty practical person. She knew she probably wouldn't get very far without us in her condition."

"Ungrateful little..." Dean muttered under his breath. "How can she not trust us? I mean really, we give her food, clothes, prote-"

"I wouldn't trust you two in her position," Bobby retorted, cutting Dean off. "Two strangers are ordered to look after me, and less than a day I get put under their care, I get sick, and one of them knocks me out. Not to mention how Dean nearly killed me before-"

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Hey, we gave her medicine. She had a bad fever right before we started up again."

"How'd you wake her up to take the medicine?" Bobby asked, narrowing his eyes when Dean found the collar of his shirt suddenly mesmerizing and Sam found the need to fix the creases on his jeans. "What the hell did you two do?"

Sam and Dean exchanged a nervous glance.

"We, uh," Dean smile was a little off. "We might've tried waking her up with... bath salts."

"Don't lie to me, boy," Bobby frowned. "Neither of you would be caught dead with _bath_ salts in the trunk. What'd you use?"

Silence filled the space between the three of them for a moment, before Sam hesitantly spoke up.

"Dean might've used his... sock."

"Boy, do you have some sorta special breed of stupid in ya?" Bobby replied, trying hard not to smile. "You for doing it, and Sam for going along with it."

"What can I say?" Dean shrugged, his complimentary smirk on his lips again. "It's a gift."

"Speaking of breeds," Sam cut in. "Are you _sure_ she's human?"

"Nice segue," Dean snorted, but glanced expectantly at Bobby all the same. Bobby sighed and shook his head.

"Abnormal strength, impeccable reflexes, human appearance, ability to sense demon blood and _maybe_ the state of your soul," Bobby listed off. "Frankly, the only thing that actually fits all of them is... well, it's not even a monster, really."

"You're saying she could be an..." Dean narrowed his eyes, trailing off.

"An angel," Sam finished. "It fits, don't you think? She said she's been alive for a long time, she knows Cas. He doesn't exactly go around chatting up monsters _or_ humans."

"Yeah, but c'mon," Dean scowled. "Tera? An angel? She had a _fever_ for Christ's sake. Do you really think she's an angel? She's about as graceful as a moose." Dean paused for a moment before adding, "No offence, Sammy."

Sam frowned in confusion, but chose to ignore Dean as he said, "She could see the demon blood, Dean. She hardly knew us, and if she did, she probably wouldn't have been trying to run from us."

"There's not much we can do about it now," Bobby muttered. "All we know is that she's capable of killing us but hasn't, and I'd like to keep it that way. Meaning that you boys should do your best not to piss her off, especially Dean. How long do you have to look out for her?"

"Dunno, Cas said he had to make arrangements or something," Dean let out a deep breath.

"Think you boys are up for a job in the meantime?" Bobby asked. "Cause there was a big forest fire in Black Hills, if you're interested. The police and fire department can't find the origin, and a witness told them it came out of nowhere. Some photographer was taking pictures of the area, and it went from totally calm to completely engulfed in flames in the time it took for his shutter to click."

"My apologies," Dean nearly jumped at the voice next to his ear. "That would be my doing."

* * *

_It's a cliché, I know. Terrible cliffhanger. I actually did most of this today, 5/5/13. Don't mob me please. So many people have been reading my story, and it makes me really happy! Oh, and you know how I said the first two chapters would be 6,000 words altogether? Yeah, don't trust me with math really late at night. It's like watching a third grader solve quadratic equations. I think you can figure out who the person is that just appeared in front of Dean and the others, right? __Yeah, so Dean is in this more than Cas, and I'm starting to get a bit frustrated because I didn't intend for Dean to be more critical to the story than Cas, but that's just how it seems to be going so far. I don't really plan stuff out, it's mostly just that I have a point B in mind, and everything I write must somehow find its way there._

_I like teasing Sam. It's fun. __Castiel gives me wings! _

_Also, I'm __**Hurricane. '97** __a great big cookie for being the first favorite on this story. You have no clue how happy I was when I saw!__  
_

_Until next time :)_


	4. Fifty-two Questions

_I am eternally grateful to all those that have read the last three chapters, and I hope you'll enjoy this one as well._

* * *

**Adrift Star**

**Chapter 4**

**52 Questions**

* * *

Castiel stood right beside Dean, a large red mark in the shape of a handprint imprinted on his cheek. His beige overcoat had a large hole in one side with singed edges, revealing a portion of his pale abdomen. His hair was more ruffled than usual, more ruffled meaning sticking in each and every direction. Dean caught a whiff of a particularly smoky scent emanating from his friend.

"Cas, are you alright?" Dean asked worriedly.

"I am fine," Castiel's voice was hoarse, making Dean's eyes narrow in disbelief. It was the kind of hoarse one got after screaming for hours. He'd never mistake that sound, considering he'd inflicted it upon many souls in his time in Hell. "Where is Tera? Is she safe?"

"She's inside reading about faeries," Bobby supplied.

Castiel nodded and disappeared into the house, leaving Bobby, Dean, and Sam to follow in his wake.

"You can't leave me here with these people!" Tera's angry voice floated in from the library. "Dean knocked me out and then woke me up with his _sock!_"

"Tera, you must understand that you are safest-"

"I don't _care_ whether I'm safe or not. You just want to use me for your own means," Tera's angry form marched up to Castiel, jabbing an accusing finger into his chest. "I trusted you, Castiel! How could you do this to me? There's a difference between living and surviving. _You_ need to understand that! Aren't you fighting for the same thing with these humans of yours? Fighting that damned apocalyptic prophecy? God, you of all people! How could you have betrayed me?"

"Tera, in order to do that, we require your help," Castiel lowered Tera's hand with his own in a gentle grip. "You have abilities you don't even know of. There are beings higher than you at work here. You cannot ignore what is going on, for your own sake and mankind's."

"What are these abilities, Castiel?" Tera demanded, eyes hardening as she wrenched her hand from his grasp. "What are you hiding from me?"

"I cannot tell you," Castiel murmered, glancing away.

"Why not?" Tera growled. "No one has forbidden you to telling me, right?"

"That is not the issue," Castiel replied. "Telling you now would have disastrous consequences."

"What sort of consequences?" Tera pushed. "Why can't you tell me?"

Castiel's almost mournful blue eyes met Tera's fiery green ones. After several moments of silence and sustained eye contact, Tera looked away, her body deflating as tension fled from her muscles.

"It would kill me, wouldn't it?" Tera whispered under her breath, her shoulders slumping. "That's why you wont tell me; because if you do, you'll be directly responsible for my death."

Castiel nodded slowly.

"What the hell happened to you anyway?" Tera abruptly switched subjects, now eyeing Castiel in concern. "Why're you all beat up like that?"

"I was... searching for something," Castiel answered. "I was met with some resistence."

"What were you searching for?" Dean chimed in, moving to stand next to Castiel. "Is your face gonna be alright?"

"It will take several hours to heal completely, but it will not interfere with my abilities," Castiel ignored the question. "I simply require time to rest. I shall be ready to begin again by dawn."

"Yeah, well, you know the drill," Dean clapped Castiel's shoulder before heading towards the kitchen, most probably to grab a cold beer from the fridge. Castiel stared at Dean's back, frowning slightly.

"Routine, Cas," Sam provided for the confused angel. Castiel nodded before quietly disappearing up the stairs. The room descended into silence as its three occupants stared either at each other or the floor. Sam swiftly made his escape into the kitchen when Tera flopped down onto the couch a minute later, ancient text in hand. Bobby rolled towards his desk, grabbing a bottle of whiskey from within a hidden compartment in one of the thick volumes piled on the wooden table and pouring a shot.

"I never really understood why humans found pain so... addicting," Bobby nearly choked on his drink when he glanced up and found Tera standing next to the desk.

"You talkin' bout my drink or in general?" Bobby asked, clearing his throat.

"Both, I suppose," Tera replied, tilting her head in a way oddly reminiscent of Castiel. "Why do you do it? Drink, I mean. Alcohol isn't that great. I mean, _really. _All it does is make you stupid, not to mention how your liver will kill you for drinking so much. What do you see in a bottle that you can't find anywhere else?"

"Something of a solitary comfort," Bobby huffed after a moment. "Turning stupid does have its upsides."

"Since when?" Tera crossed her arms.

"Turning stupid is a lot better than remembering everything," Bobby answered, taking out another glass and pouring a pinch of whiskey. He offered it to Tera, who immediately looked at it with narrowed eyes. "Want some?"

For just a moment, Bobby could see Tera thinking of turning away, rejecting the drink in front of her. Slowly, she reached out and gripped the glass delicately between her thumb and index finger, as if she were disgusted to even touch it.

"Don't tell the boys about this," Tera noticed how his voice softened at the mention of Sam, Dean, and Castiel as she brought the drink close to her face and took a cautious sniff. Her nose wrinkled at the strong smell. She knew it was probably safe, aside from its intended precursory effects, seeing as Bobby had drunk from the same bottle, but she could never be too safe. Taking a deep breath, she threw her head back as she drank the shot, imitating what she'd seen in bars everywhere.

Though the alcohol burned as it went down her throat, leaving behind a scorching sensation, it managed to settle into a ball of warmth in her stomach. The warmth felt strangely familiar, but more like an echo of what once was. Tera found herself licking her lips before she had finished analyzing the taste.

"Why is it warm?" Tera asked, curious. "The drink is cold, so why did it feel warm? Would it still feel cold if you put it in a fridge? What if you boiled-"

"Go read the damn book," Bobby grumbled, replacing the bottle in its hiding spot and tucking the tome deep into one of the drawers of his desk. "And remember, not a peep."

Tera spent the rest of the time before her eyelids slid shut on the couch, pretending to read as she tried to figure out what had made the echo that sat so snugly in her stomach.

* * *

"Cas, we need to talk."

Castiel turned from his spot by the window to glance at Dean, who closed the door behind him. The bedroom was Bobby's, but now that he was restricted to the wheel chair, the room was hardly used in favor for the couch downstairs.

"What would you like to talk about?" Castiel asked. Castiel already knew what Dean would ask about, of course, but it would be better if Dean initiated the conversation.

"It's about Tera and the rest of the shit that's going on with you," Dean took a deep breath and sat down on the bed, patting the spot next to him with one hand. "Sit next to me, Cas."

Castiel sat carefully where Dean had indicated, slightly uneasy at the unusually close proximity.

"You have to tell me what you're look for," Dean said, looking Castiel straight in the eye. "And who managed to beat you up so bad they left a mark. Not to mention telling me exactly who Tera is. We've got time, you can tell me. I have to know if you want us to protect Tera all we can."

Castiel looked away, unable to meet Dean's open gaze.

"Dean, things are not that simple," he replied, his two fingers rubbing the edge of the pocket on his trenchcoat, a nervous habit passed on by his original vessel. "I can't tell you all of it, but I can say some. I'm not looking for something, but someone. There's a woman that can help Tera, a psychic."

"Help Tera with what?" Dean asked. "Who is she? We might be able to help."

"I need you here with Tera," Castiel's voice wavered slightly as he met Dean's eyes with his own. "You're the only ones I can entrust with her. I'll handle finding the psychic."

Castiel could almost feel Dean bristle angrily underneath his still face, but made no comment.

"Then what about the thing that left you with a bitch slap mark?" Dean asked instead.

"...he is an underling of Lucifer." Castiel answered. "His right-hand man, if you will. He's an angel as well, one of those that Fell from heaven when Lucifer did."

"Oh great, another dick," Dean huffed.

"Semiazas is powerful, and has only grown more powerful under Lucifer's guidance," Castiel warned. "Tera is already hidden from his sight, but he is still searching for her, and I fear that he may have found a way already, which is why we need the psychic."

"What use would the psychic do?" Dean asked.

"There are things about Tera that are best left unsaid," Castiel replied. "Tera is considered a weapon by Lucifer and Semiazas. She could be the last straw on the camel's back. Possession of Tera could make or break the war between heaven and hell."

"So what the hell are we doing with Tera then?" Dean asked. "All that shit about you using Tera for your own means, is that true?"

"Tera is not an object to be used and thrown away, Dean," Castiel leaned in, eyes narrowing. "She has been my ally for a long time. At this point, I know her better than she knows herself, and I mean her no harm. I simply wish for her to be safe."

Dean examined Castiel's face, watched the way his chest puffed almost indignantly near the beginning of his speech before it and his head slumped down ever so slightly at the end.

"How do you know Tera?" Dean questioned.

"I can't tell you."

"How old is Tera?"

"I can't tell you."

"Does she have any family?"

"...no."

"So she _does_ have family."

"I said she didn't."

"Cas, have you ever heard yourself lie?"

"No."

"And who taught you how to lie in the first place?"

"...you did."

"Yes I did, and that's how I know you're lying. Is her family alive?"

Castiel sighed, "Yes. How long are we going to play 52 questions?"

"20 questions," Dean corrected. "And just one more. Why is Tera so - I dunno, explosive? She's sleeping like a bear in the backseat and less than two minutes later she manages to pop Sam a nasty right hook to the nose. What gives?"

"It's in her nature," Castiel explained, glancing back towards the window. "She is prone to... extreme emotional outbursts, normally with very good reason."

"I bet she thought we poisoned her or something," Dean replied to Castiel's unspoken question. "She woke up sick and nearly threw up in the Impala."

Castiel's head snapped to attention, staring at Dean with shocked eyes, before he disappeared with the sound of wings flapping and the remnants of a soft breeze.

"Cas!" Dean called, immediately dashing out the room and practically falling down the stairs. His boots thudded loudly against the old wooden steps, the sound following him noisily as he practically stumbled into the study. Castiel was standing over Tera's sleeping figure on the couch. Bobby was yelling something -_ Jesus Christ, don't go scaring a man with a gun half to death!- _and the pages that were disturbed by Castiel's abrupt arrival fluttered to the already cluttered ground. Sam bumped into him from behind, shotgun in hand and ready for anything. His hair and clothes were disheveled from sleep, but his face showed he was completely alert.

"Cas," Dean called again, moving to stand next to the angel. "What's wrong?"

Castiel stared at Tera, his stormy blue eyes betraying the calm expression on his face.

"Semiazas is visiting Tera in her dreams," he murmured. "That's how he will find her. I always _assumed_..."

"Cas!" Dean placed a hand on the angel's shoulder, who reluctantly dragged his eyes from Tera's form to Dean's emerald fields. "What the hell is going on?"

"Tera is not a being that simply gets sick," Castiel murmured. "Whatever her body is trying to expel is not a disease or poorly-cooked meal. She is at her most vulnerable while she's asleep."

"Isn't there anything you can do?" Dean asked. "I mean, if the Semi-guy can visit her dreams, can't you go in too?"

"Theoretically, yes," Castiel answered. "But doing so would be incredibly dangerous. If I had known Semiazas visited her in her dreams... one angel in her head is enough."

"What the hell is going on?" Sam cried angrily.

"But you have to do _something_," Dean grit out, ignoring Sam. "You can't let that douchebag find her. She'll die for sure if you don't do anything."

Castiel turned his gaze back to Tera, staring for several long moments before kneeling beside the couch.

"Whatever you do, do not interrupt me," Castiel ordered, hovering one hand above her forehead. "And do not touch either of us, unless you wish to be lost forever in the depths of our minds."

"Not a problem," Dean smirked.

"Dean," Castiel voice lowered slightly. "If I fail-"

"Like hell you will," Dean interrupted. "Just get your ass back here with the shrimp."

"I do not believe Tera will appreciate you calling her a crustacean," Castiel said softly as the palm of his hand met her forehead.

* * *

Castiel blinked once, and immediately stretched out his wings as the ground disappeared from beneath his feet. The warm cluttered study that smelled like old spice and whiskey had been replaced with a backdrop of a gold sunset, a sea of sand stretching out in every direction except for one tiny sliver of blue in the distance.

The Nile.

Castiel was shaken as memories that had been long dormant assaulted him at the familiar sight. The murder of every family's first-born son without the blood of lambs above their doorway had been a righteous act at the time. The arrogance of the Egyptian's leader when he believed he could keep the Chosen enslaved without punishment had led so many innocents to their premature deaths. Castiel could not take pleasure of fulfilling the will of God as he usually did when he saw the look on the childrens' peaceful faces as they slept and subsequently took their lives from them. Too many humans looked upon him in fear that night.

"Castiel!"

The angel whirled around to find the source of the voice, only to be met by a rushing crowd of people whose faces were blurred out. Tall buildings towered over the hustle and bustle of the street. Indistinct chatter of people on phones and incessant honking from cars filled his ears, growing uncomfortably loud. Castiel frowned at his surroundings, trying to find where the sense of _wrong_ that tickled the back of his neck originated.

The sound of men arguing drew his attention, standing out from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the crowd. Castiel cautiously approached the bakery the conversation seemed to be coming from and opened the door before freezing in his tracks after taking only one step inside. All the outside sound had vanished, leaving the 18th Century tavern he'd just walked into dead silent in comparison.

18th Century tavern.

Castiel dared a step back, and as if he'd flipped a switch, the sounds of the city came rushing back. He glanced at the cakes showcased in the bakery's window and stepped through the doorway once more, only to be met by several men in baggy wool shirts toast their friend's mother good fortune at the wooden bar. The argument from just a few moments ago seemed to be nowhere in sight.

He sighed at the dream's infallible logic.

It was going to take a lot longer than he'd expected.

* * *

"Cas?" Dean called worriedly when his best friend's eyes went dull and his shoulders slumped low.

"Dean, what the _hell_ just happened?" Bobby demanded.

Dean ran an aggravated hand through his hair, and then settled down on one of the chairs next to Bobby's desk.

* * *

_As of posting this chapter, I am happy to announce **Hurricane.'97** and **nlr . lcsw** as the first favorite/alert's for the story, respectively. I was super excited to see you two! I had to put a space between the period and the letters in nlr's name so it wouldn't auto-delete. __Thank you so very much :)_

_Also, I might've gone a bit overboard on Chapter 5, but I don't think you'll mind all that much. It's 4k-ish words long. I mean, I had a blast writing it, as well as a workout to my imagery skills (which may or may not be absolutely horrific), but the longer I wrote, the more I wished it to be over. I have plans to do, things you write, but I needed to get that over with. Well, I say this, but mostly it was because I had a bunch of doubts. Should I introduce this now? Have I written this right? Should I have added more of the internal thought process? Should I switch between Cas, Dean, and Tera for the main part?_

_Guys, writing is_ hard!_ *insert pout here*_

_Until next time!_


	5. Sweet Dreams

_Thank you everyone that's read so far and, oh. My. God. The elusive review has finally been spotted. _

* * *

**Adrift Star**

**Chapter 5**

**Sweet Dreams**

* * *

A gentle hum from the corner of the tavern drew Castiel's attention almost immediately, recognizing it as the sound of the minds of countless other angels overlapping one another. The closer Castiel tried to listen, the more difficult it was to discern their speech, and the more his temples began to pound. He shook his head, trying to shake off what he knew to be phantom pain, before cautiously approaching the corner from where the hum emanated.

He stopped when he noticed a nearly imperceptible light shining from between the floor and the wall. Castiel stared at the anomaly for several moments before glancing around to see where it might be coming from, only to find when he looked back that the light had grown even brighter. Daring to get a closer look, Castiel knelt, leaned forward, and promptly found himself flat on his back. The light blinded him for an instant before dissolving into various shades of green, blue, and a small tuft of yellow.

A soft tired moan rumbled through someone's chest, which in turn rumbled through his own. Castiel raised his head slightly and saw a young human boy, no older than three years of age, resting half on half off his chest. A peaceful expression adorned the child's face as he slept, along with a small line of spittle that landed on his coat. Castiel's arm held the boy close to his chest, in a way that would suggest he was possessive.

Of course, Castiel immediately pulled his arm away, albeit very slowly as not to... _startle_ the human child.

He froze when the boy yawned, revealing perfect milky-white baby teeth and soft pink gums. His eyes were half-lidded, letting dazed blue eyes that mirrored his own peek out. The boy smacked his lips as he burrowed closer to Castiel's warm body.

"West," a voice called as the world suddenly grew a little bit darker. A woman stood over the two, smiling down at them. She kneeled down beside them and carefully brushed the little boy's fringe out of his eyes. The woman then turned and gazed at Castiel, her face and warm brown eyes filled with love.

"We did a good job, don't you think?" She murmured, glancing back at the boy in Castiel's arms. Castiel couldn't find it in himself to move from his position, as the arrival of the blonde woman and the young boy lulled his pounding temples to a slight dull roar. The woman gently cradled Castiel's cheek with one hand.

"Aren't you ever going to shave that stubble?" the woman lightly teased under her breath as she leaned down to touch their foreheads together, her long curly hair creating a barrier from the outside world. "Or are you doing it so I'll be jealous every time another girl even looks at you?"

She planted a soft kiss on Castiel's lips, which made his overactive mind pause for one moment.

"I don't know you," his throat tightened uncomfortably, as if his body were trying to stop him from saying the words that needed to be said.

"Nice try," the woman gave a low chuckle, the sound sending his heart racing, confusing him even more. "But we both know you wouldn't have married me if I were a stranger."

He placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her off lightly. She looked at him, her face now uncertain. It pained him to see her that way. But why? This was nothing. This was just a dream - just Tera's dream. None of this was real. It bothered Castiel that he had to convince himself it wasn't anything but.

It scared him that he wasn't buying it.

Castiel abruptly rose to his feet, leaving the woman to stand up a moment later and the boy to blink up at him, his eyes still clouded with sleep.

"Castiel, what's wrong?" the blonde woman asked, concerned. She reached out a hand to place on her shoulder, but he took a swift step back, leaving her slightly offended and more worried than before.

"You are not real," Castiel somehow kept his voice steady. The boy rubbed his bleary eyes with two small fists.

"Daddy?"

Castiel stared at the little boy, horrified at how strong the impulse was to snatch him in his arms and care for him. To keep the boy save. The most important child in the universe.

"I am not your father," his voice croaked. Castiel didn't believe he would've said those words to Claire Novak if he knew how both him and his - _the boy_ reacted. The child turned toward his mother, face scrunched up in confusion. She picked the boy up, letting him wrap his arms around her neck tightly, before turning to frown at him.

Castiel fought the urge to reassure them everything was alright when her eyes began to fill with liquid.

"Castiel, y-you have to stop," she stuttered, her voice wavering. "You're scaring both of us."

Castiel gazed at the two for several moments, in which that time the boy turned to look back at him with his own naïve blue eyes. Castiel stretched his wings as far as they would go and pushed himself hard off the ground. He couldn't stay any longer. He was angry at himself for not being able to fight it. It was ridiculous. They weren't real. They never were. Why were these thi -

Castiel's face smacked into the rough bark of a tree.

* * *

"You're kidding, right?"

Dean set down the gun he'd taken to cleaning while he was recounting him and Castiel's earlier conversation.

"Not this time, Bobby," Dean replied.

"At least we know who the baddie is," Sam said, a book open in his hand. Dean snorted at how much of a nerd his little brother was. He hadn't even finished telling them when he'd started perusing the library from the right book. Sam pointed at a passage in his book. "It says here that Semiazas was the chief of the Fallen."

"What else does it say?" Dean asked, peeking over Sam's shoulder to skim the text, only to be blocked by the view of Sam's stylish plaid shirt as he shrugged.

"Nothing we don't know already," Sam shook his head.

"So we've got bupkis," Dean sighed, glancing towards the two prone figures slumped on the couch. "Great. How long are they supposed to stay in there anyway? I mean, how long can it take to find one guy?"

* * *

Castiel's wings instinctively slowed his descent, though it only made his fall slightly less unpleasant. Thick branches broke as he landed on them and then continued traveling as if he hadn't been impeded in the slightest. A soft shriek was the only warning he had before he hit the ground to catch the wind with his wings and spiral several feet to the left. He landed on his side, sliding for several feet before coming to a stand-still.

Castiel breathed heavily, attempting to recover from hitting the tree that wasn't there in the first place at top speed. After a few moments, he glanced around to examine his new surroundings, and found a small child gazing at him with cautious yet curious brown eyes. She wore a flowing cloth dress that looked much too revealing for the snow that encompassed them. Her feet were bare, and her toes were curling and un-curling as if she were trying to encourage blood flow. The girl's dark brown hair was tied up in a bun on the top of her head, locks sticking out untidily and framing her thin face.

"What is your name?"

The girl seemed as startled as he was when he heard his voice speak. She scampered away, disappearing into the dark forest. He rose to his feet and followed the sound of her light footsteps, keeping a careful eye on the dark environment for any predators that might wish to harm the child.

Again with the children.

Castiel buried his irritation and focused instead on following the girl, but found she had hidden behind a set of large bushes. If he were human, she would've been completely obscured from his view in the darkness underneath the canopy that blocked out the moon. He approached the bushes slowly, as not to startle the girl again, and kneeled a few feet from the edge, outstretching one hand.

"I'm not here to hurt you," he tried to make his voice soft, which didn't happen to be difficult at all. He waited quietly for a response for several minutes before she slunk from underneath the shadow of the bush and placed her palm flat against his hand. After a moment's contemplation, Castiel closed his fingers and gave what he hoped to be a comforting smile. The girl glanced up at his wings before meeting his eyes and then repeating the gesture. Castiel frowned.

She could see his wings?

Castiel nodded reluctantly, as she was wordlessly asking his permission. Using the hand that wasn't in enclosed in Castiel's, she reached for one of his wings and, after a second of hesitation, placed it on his feathers. They immediately ruffled, unaccustomed and obviously uncomfortable at being touched by anyone but himself. A small smile graced her features as her eyes widened in awe. She met his gaze once more, this time excited and eager. He cocked his head to one side, obviously questioning, and gave a short nod.

Leading him by the hand, the girl ran skillfully through the dark forest, her bare feet leaving only the smallest of sounds in their wake. She didn't seem bothered by the lack of light and jumped over every rock and root on the forest floor, even when covered with snow. Soon the thick trees began to thin out and they arrived at a clearing. Inside lay a small village of stone houses capped with straw. A huge bonfire lit up the clearing, warning any and all predators that might dare enter that they would never return. An intimidating show of might and strength.

The girl grew more restless the closer they approached, and as they walked into the quiet village, an unseen watchman let out a cry that rang through the empty field. Villages poured from every hut and quickly surrounded him and the girl, all of them taking her in their arms and cheering, celebrating her return. Several of the older villagers dressed in more elaborate clothing and finer-made cloths loomed around him, eyeing him carefully. The roar of the crowd eventually died off and turned to curious mutterings as they turned their attention to Castiel. The boldest of the children dared walk straight up to him to feel his trench coat, his hands, his shoes. Their small hands roamed his body, exploring every inch of him until their mothers called them back angrily or their initial confidence had turned traitor and fled.

The girl returned to his side and placed her hand on his wings once more, this time giving them a slight pat. She looked imploringly at those who appeared to be the elders of the village. After several moments of total silence as they awaited the verdict, one of the elders nodded. She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward one of the largest buildings in the village. The girl stopped right before they entered and placed an index finger on his lips. Castiel nodded and silently followed her inside.

He stared at the figure lying prone on the bundle of blankets resembling a bed. Her hands were folded across her stomach and a wreath of flowers nestled on top of her head, giving her the appearance of deep sleep.

"Tera," he breathed softly, rushing to her side to examine her more closely, only to find she'd disappeared from the bed.

He frowned and turned back to the girl, who smiled and burst out of the building. Castiel followed her into the center of the village where the flickering light was located and saw all the villagers singing songs and shouting gleefully at those that danced around the fire. All but one wore masks containing the fangs and ears of demons and other deadly animals as they bent low and slithered or leaped gracefully to the rhythm of the steady drum beat.

Castiel stared at Tera in utter fascination, transfixed at the sight of her majestic black wings as they rolled and straightened, as though they were dancing as well. Her shadowy face held a loose smile that grew the faster the beat went. The other dancers turned to cheer her on with proud and excited grins. And then she was pulling him towards the blistering fire, twisting and twirling in his grasp and emerald eyes playfully challenging him to join. Reluctant at first, Castiel clumsily mimicked her motions. The villagers voiced their approval with a loud wave of noise and laughter. Eventually his body fell into her rhythym and his bright wings mirrored her dark ones with perfect timing.

Castiel's chest filled with a warmth that was unfamiliar to him. He could feel his heart pounding furiously and blood rushing through his veins. Soon he could only think of the dance, of following the drum beat, of matching her feet as they left the ground, as though underneath their soles was the molten lava that'd completely covered the earth long before the mud fish had climbed onto the beach. Her eyes of green fire smoldered with an emotion he couldn't recognize.

"Castiel!"

Castiel blinked. The village and its inhabitants, the elders, the little girl, the dark forest, the bonfire, _Tera,_ all disappeared. His stomach dropped, a curious feeling for the angel, and the warmth disappeared in a flash of boiling anger that made him dizzy. Unaccustomed to the intense reaction (_he should have known he should have _known), Castiel spent the first several moments taking deep breaths, forcing the emotions to drain out in each exhale until he felt in control once more.

"Oh, great," the familiar voice sent an unrestrained shiver down his spine. "I thought I got rid of you."

Turning, Castiel saw Semiazas clothed in long white robes painted with blood sitting on a concrete step. Beside him sat an axe enscribed with ancient symbols. It hummed softly when he reached out with his senses, and Castiel was disgusted to find the lingering scent of angel blood on its sharp blade.

"Do you _know_ how long it takes to enter her mind?" Semiazas drawled, lazily staggering to his feet, picking the axe from its place on the ground. "You don't even _want_ to know what I had to do to get in here." Semiazas's tongue slowly slid across his top lip, eyes locked on Castiel's.

"You will not hurt her," Castiel growled. "Leave now or die."

Semiazas laughed, his voice melodic as it echoed through the abandoned warehouse they stood in. He moved his axe so it sat loosely on his shoulder.

"See this baby? I swapped her out for my angel blade a long time ago," he ran a finger across the tip and brought it to his mouth, sucking lustfully on the drop of blood. "As you can see, she has no master, unlike - what is it those useless mud monkeys call her again? Ah, yes, Tera. What a dreadful name, Tera. Couldn't they have been more creative when dragging her out of the ground? And of all names she'd had by then, it's _Tera_ that sticks?"

"She doesn't allow anyone but God to rule over her," Castiel narrowed his eyes. He felt he had to defend Tera's integrity.

"Oh, don't sell yourself so short, Cassy!" Semiazas let out a strangled, maniacal laugh. "It has been simply fascinating seeing how fond she has grown of you. Well, you _have_ completely betrayed her trust a countless amount of times. To be honest, I haven't been counting, but I bet you have. So what's the number? Is it in the hundreds? The thousands? How many times have you seen her look at you with eyes that _screamed_-"

"Enough!" Castiel barked.

"Am I getting on your nerves?" Semiazas fell to his knees, letting his axe clatter to the ground noisily as he kneeled so his forehead touched the floor. "Please, oh master, forgive me!"

"That isn't even remotely funny," Castiel said, reaching for his angel blade. Semiazas seemed to be mad, and he didn't want to know what mad angels could do. Castiel's paranoia saved him, however, as Semiazas lunged at him with a hidden dagger that had been tucked in his sleeve.

"C'mon Castiel," Semiazas murmured, making a long but shallow slice on Castiel's arm after he'd parried. "We both know Uriel is the funniest angel in the garrison."

"You know nothing of the garrison," Castiel knew Semiazas was trying to distract him from his true purpose, but the way his violet eyes twinkled with amusement set him on edge. Her influence still fuddled his mind, contorting and twisting his emotions into things he'd never dreamed of feeling. Frankly, he was surprised it hadn't happened the moment he'd entered her mind. Being so close was only making things worse. He had to dispatch of Semiazas quickly.

"I know enough," Semiazas lowered his dagger, a sly grin sneaking its way onto his face. "I won't waste my time with you. I was just making my nightly rounds. You provided a little... _entertainment_, but you're no fun now. Come back when you're all stone hard, if you know what I mean."

"Semiazas-"

"My my, aren't you the little chatty Cassy tonight?"

"...don't return. You will gain nothing from venturing into her mind."

"Oh please, I've learned a lot. It's not just her unconscious in here, brother," Semiazas grin faltered slightly. "You'd be surprised just how more powerful our heart is compared to our grace. You've discovered that for yourself."

"I am still searching-"

"I've heard about you and God's game of hide and seek, and let me tell you, it's worthless," Semiazas's smile widened once more. "As you so eloquently put it, you will gain nothing from venturing into places you shouldn't be. Alas, I must begone. I'll do us both a favor. Tell her I said hello."

Before Castiel could react, Semiazas grazed the back of his knuckles on his cheek, and he was lost.

* * *

"...bothering me, I'm fine!"

"You think Cas freaking out so much over you sleeping that he decided to take a stroll down Dreamwalk Tera Strip means you're fine?"

"Bugger off, it's not like I had anything to do with it. Besides, I'm _fine. _My lungs are working, I can feel and account for all my fingers and toes, and I'm probably the only person in this room that _isn't certifiably insane!_"

"Cas risked his life to save your sorry ass, so maybe you should be a little grateful once in a while. All you've done since you got here in complain, complain, complain."

"I did not ask to be here. My place is not with you, it's not with anyone. I will complain as much as I please because I do not want to be here. Get it into your thick skull, hammer it into your memory until it is nice and visible and permanent. I have _earned_ the right to speak my mind. I am older than you two trigger-happy hicks and the old drunk put together," A short pause. "No offence, Bobby."

"Oh, none taken."

"Just because you can say _what _you want doesn't mean you get to say _whatever _you want!"

"Listen to me carefully, Dean. _Back. Off._"

Castiel distantly felt a cold trembling hand on his chest. He forced his heavy eyelids to open and glanced around the abruptly quiet room. Tera kneeled in front of him with her back turned on him, keeping one flat palm over his heart. He immediately reached out and touched her shoulder. She turned in surprise, and Castiel used that time to examine her. Her skin appeared too pale to be normal, and dark gouges underneath her eyes were present, but she didn't seem to be harmed at all by Semiazas.

"Are you okay?" Tera asked, her lips twitching downward in concern. "I dunno what's running around my head at night, so I can't really help you."

"I am fine," Castiel replied. Tera looked at Dean out of the corner of her eye for a few moments before huffing in irritation.

"What, Castiel can be fine but I can't be?" Tera scowled at Dean. "What kind of sick double standard is that?"

Castiel rose to his feet, which in turn made Tera scramble to follow him up.

"So wha-" A large book smacked the back of her head, cutting her off mid-word. She spun on her heel and found Bobby looking straight at her with a stern face.

"Let the boy breathe," Bobby lowered the book back into his lap. "Dean has a point. He just went headfirst into your noggin."

Tera sighed impatiently, but turned towards Castiel anyway. "Do you feel like you have to stop and smell the roses, Castiel?"

"No," Castiel replied, feeling more drained than before. "I must find God. But first I must rest and come up with a solution for keeping your dreams your own."

"_We'll _come up with a solution," Dean interjected, sending Castiel his own stern glance. "Get your ass to bed before I kick it there."

Tera stared at Dean with wide eyes, her face radiating shock and a hint of fear. Castiel sighed after meeting Dean's stubborn gaze and nodded, silently retreating up the stairs.

"Tera?" Sam asked, eyeing her slack-jawed expression. "Something up?"

"Dean just... he just ordered Castiel to rest," Tera sputtered. "Do you know how dangerous it is to order an _angel_ around?"

"Cas would never hurt me," Dean said confidently, which only succeeded in confounding her even more.

"Even injured, Castiel could probably smite you without breaking a sweat," she argued, one hand absently reaching up to rub her chest. "Angels have been around for a helluva lot longer than you humans, and most of everything for that matter. They're stronger, they're faster, and they'll do anything to keep the order of Heaven and follow God. They don't give a shit about little blimps in their radar like us."

"Sounds like you're talking from experience," Bobby commented. "Ever had a run in with an angel?"

"All I know is that Castiel is the only angel I can trust," she scowled. "The rest would be less than pleasant if they ever encountered me," she paused for a moment. "Castiel's an angel. Don't forget that. He may have a human vessel, but that's not Castiel. Not even close."

"And you know what he looks like?" Dean raised an eyebrow. Tera shifted uncomfortably under their tight scrutiny.

"No," Tera muttered. "But angels wouldn't need a vessel to visit Earth if they had a corporeal body. It's common sense."

"You don't think it has anything to do with the fact their true form is harmful to humans?" Sam asked. "I mean, their true form can blind people. We know that from experience."

Tera's face twisted in confusion as she stared off into space, her eyes horribly lost. By now she was scratching the base of her neck, leaving long red trails as the skin loudly announced its displeasure.

"But..." her eyes squinted, as though she was straining to see something. "They never..."

"Tera?" Sam placed a large hand on her shoulder, his voice soft and coaxing and comforting, just like it always was whenever prying information from a grieving witness. "Who's they?"

Tera let out a sigh, shaking her head. "I can't remember, and it's driving me nuts. I mean, it feels like it's _right there_, but I can't see it."

"It'll come to you," Sam assured. Tera just grimaced and swiftly fled the room, leaving Bobby, Dean, and Sam by themselves.

"So, the girl's an angel amnesiac that has problems playing with others except for Cas," Bobby summed up.

"What makes you think that?" Sam asked.

"Well, for one thing, Cas seems to worry about her a lot. Heaven and Hell are both against her and want to use her as a weapon, which can only mean that she has some sorta power or quality we don't know about yet. She looked pretty freaked when she saw Dean telling Cas to get some damn rest. She also seemed to have some history with angels, if she knows it or not." Bobby explained. "The whole thing's a big mess."

"D'you think she's, you know..." Sam trailed off. "A fallen angel?"

"But Anna knew she was an angel when she gave up her grace," Dean cut in. "Not to mention the shrimp has not so subtly dropped the _I'm older than you_ bomb. I thought they lived a normal lifespan after that."

"I dunno," Bobby huffed. "We just gotta prepare and see how this all plays out."

"Great," Dean gave an irritated sigh.

* * *

_Oh my god. Guys, guys, I have a review. An actual review, from an actual living, breathing person. That person's name is **Cristo-salt-pie93 **(fantastic name, btw). TYVM, MY GOOD SIR/MADAM. Sorry, really excited about this. The same person, along with **JennyLynn2010 **and **DanathaKettu**, put this on their alert list. Cristo went for the triple threat by reviewing, favoriting,_ and_putting this on their alert list. Guys, I think this user deserves an internet pie of their choice.__Guys, this is serious stuff. You're friggin' brilliant, all of you. I see those eighteen people that have read all the way through chapter 4, don't think I didn't see you guys sneak past. You're_ all_ greatly appreciated. _

_I nearly posted the sixth chapter in lieu of the fifth, so it's a good thing I caught that. __Yeah, I totally threw all mystery to the wind in this chapter, but those three aren't totally ignorant. __You have no idea how much fun I had writing the dream scenes with Cas like, holy crap. What do you guys think about that little bomb on you at the end? Who's they? Why doesn't Tera have her memories? Only I know... ***bwahahaha***_

_Have any of you guys seen The Profound Bond? It's a Destiel trailer by ablazingwings on tumblr and it looks like an actual fucking movie. I would pay some serious money to see that if it actually became a thing. There's also another one called Castiel The Motion Picture by badhalo on YouTube. You guys need to watch these two, they're probably the best things ever._

_This chapter was produced using music from _Florence + The Machine _and _The Heavy. _I discovered _The Heavy_ from the Profound Bond. All their songs are absolutely brilliant, and I highly recommend a quick listen. 'Be Mine' is the one that drew me in. _

_Until next time!_


	6. Monster

_Thirty-four readers, eight follows, four favorites, three reviews, and one massive group hug._

* * *

**Adrift Star**

**Chapter 5**

**Monster**

* * *

"Castiel?" Tera mumbled from her spot on the windowsill. Castiel blinked from his weak meditation and glanced at her back. She sat with her knees tucked into her chest, looking up at the remnants of the nighttime stars as they slowly disappeared the closer it came to dawn. "The other angel in my head... was his name Semiazas?"

There was a long pause before he spoke. "Yes, that was the angel's name. Do you remember seeing him in your dream?"

"I was watching you two fight. I don't remember it all, and I don't know what either of you were saying most of the time, but I heard you say his name and warn him to get out. Did you know him? Back in Heaven, I mean?" Tera asked, glancing at him over her shoulder. Castiel nodded in confirmation.

"I... did not know him well," Castiel relented.

"Why am I so important?" Tera changed the subject, noticing how uncomfortable Castiel was becoming, and glanced back out at the lightening sky. "Why do I feel so angry? I understand what Dean meant by me complaining non-stop, but it feels like it's impossible _not_ to. Every little thing sets me off and makes me more irritated and paranoid than usual. It's distracting me, and I can't afford to get distracted with angels and demons and everything else in-between on my ass."

"You are a naturally emotional being, Tera," Castiel rose from the bed and sat down beside her to get a clear view of her face. "What is happening inside you is only amplifying your natural abilities. The more Semiazas interferes, the more he is present to do as he wishes in your dreams, the more dangerous it will be for you."

"What are my natural abilities?" Tera asked. "What exactly is happening inside me?"

"I cannot tell you the specifics," Castiel replied. "But you are capable of doing great things."

"Great things, sure," Tera muttered. "But _good _things? Saving the world is just as great as destroying it."

"You should not worry of things that have long yet to come," Castiel advised. "Focusing on getting Semiazas out of your dreams is our top priority."

"What will we do after that's all done?" Tera asked.

"We will search for a psychic," Castiel turned his face towards the sky. "Your abilities, your _true_ abilities, have been locked away without your knowledge of ever being there in the first place. The psychic I am looking for may be able to help us unlock them."

"Will I know how to use my, uh, _true_ abilities when they're back?" Tera wondered aloud.

"I believe so," Castiel answered. "But if not, I will teach you how to use them."

She sent him a curious look but chose not press the issue. "I agree with Dean, by the way. You don't look so good. A couple hours of sleep would help."

Castiel nodded and retreated back to the bed, lying on top of the covers and closing his eyes. Tera turned to stare at his figure, watching his chest slowly rise and fall at an even pace. She wondered if angels automatically fell asleep at will. After a few minutes of listening to him breathe, she silently got up from her place by the window and opened the closet door as quietly as she could. She wrestled an extra blanket from underneath a pile of miscellaneous objects and a small chest, making sure not to make too much noise, tiptoed toward the bed, and carefully draped it over Castiel as he slept. After watching him some more (_Tera wondered if that was what she would do for the rest of her life)_, she crawled underneath the covers and turned her back on Castiel to stare at the wall.

She didn't sleep, instead letting her mind wander as she watched the rising sun slide up the old floral wallpaper.

* * *

"You let him go."

Gazing straight into the blue eyes of the Devil was more like staring down the barrel of a gun, or so Semiazas thought.

"He posed no threat," He spoke, keeping his voice light and bouncy in an attempt to ward away the tension that loomed over the two. He still wore the bloody robes and carried the large axe from inside her dream. Lucifer had moved to stand when Semiazas had entered the room, now completely ignoring the two hostage humans that he'd been toying with before to keep himself entertained.

"And did it come to mind that he might be a threat later?" Lucifer asked, raising an eyebrow. Semiazas restrained the impulse to swallow and instead shrugged, a lazy smile tugging at his lips.

"I'm confident I could handle him," he replied. "The poor thing is still after her, still trying to save her. I can still get a lock onto her location easily enough. Besides, Castiel won't be able to do anything against me. I'm much too powerful."

"You know what I hear coming out of your mouth?" Lucifer asked. Semiazas mirorred the Morning Star's cocked eyebrow. "Excuses, excuses, _excuses_. You see, when I tell you to kill someone, I expect you to do it. If you don't do as I say, how am I ever supposed to trust you?"

Well-versed in the language of the his master, Semiazas lowered his head slightly and dropped his eyes so they met the tile floor of the kitchen. "You cannot."

"No, I can't!" Lucifer repeated, his voice raising slightly as he stepped right in front of Semiazas. His hand reached out and gripped Semiazas's chin gently, raising it so violet eyes met blue. "And what in the _world_ will I do if I can't trust you, hmm, Zazzy?"

"You'll kill me," Semiazas replied after a moment, before adding as an afterthought. "Brother."

"Oh please, I wouldn't do that to my own little bro," Lucifer laughed. "I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I couldn't trust you. I mean, really, you have been beside me this entire time. Almost since the very beginning. Do you remember Heaven? Do you remember how God cast us out for loving him?"

Semiazas nodded, trying to muster as much hatred for his Father into his eyes as he could. Lucifer gave him a deceivingly soft smile and patted his cheek lightly.

"No worries, little brother," he learned close and whispered into Semiazas's ear. "I'll make sure He gets what He deserves."

"Y-you're crazy!" The human male's voice turned their attention to the humans, finding that the man had managed to wriggle out of his bindings and had grabbed the knife that had been sitting on the table. He held it with two trembling hands in front of him. "Don't c-come any c-closer!"

"How adorable," Lucifer calmly walked up to the man and grabbed his wrist. His grip was tight enough to make the man drop his weapon."Do you believe in Heaven, little man?"

The man nodded and with shaking hands revealed the cross that had hung underneath his blood-stained shirt.

"You won't hurt me, d-devil spawn!" He held the cross out like a shield. Lucifer let out a hearty laugh that echoed eerily throughout the house.

"I think you're mistaken, you little hairless ape," Lucifer leaned in close so his face was mere inches from the man's. "I'm not devil spawn. Here, let's try this again. Who am I?"

"A-a demon!" The man sputtered.

"No, no," Lucifer purred. "You're wrong again. Since I'm so kind, I'll give you a little hint. My name starts with an 'L'."

The man gulped and, with renewed determination, began to pray aloud.

"Lord Jesus, I come before Thee, just as I am, I am sorry for my sins, I repent of my sins, please forgive me. In Thy Name, I forgive all others for what they have done against me. I renounce Satan, the evil spirits and all their works-"

Lucifer chuckled and glanced over to shoulder at Semiazas. Semiazas just grinned and shook his head, as though the human was a lost cause.

"Sorry buddy," Lucifer smiled. "That's not gonna work anymore."

Raising one hand, he sent the man hurtling across the room where he smashed into the wall. The man grunted, the arm that had been holding the cross going limp, and began again. The woman was whimpering and trying to escape her bondage.

"Mary, My Mother, Queen of Peace, St. Peregrine, the cancer saint, all the Angels and Saints, please help me-"

Lucifer snapped his fingers, and then the man's innards splattered all over the room.

"_Amen_," Lucifer finished, smirking. "Now, Semiazas, go round up a few of your troops and lets get moving. You said you'd be able to find her location?"

"Yes, sir," Semiazas straightened and kept his face blank, the tone of the Devil's voice having told he'd gone into war mode. "Several more nights of dreamwalking and I'll have her."

Lucifer frowned. "I didn't think it would take so long."

"She moves around a lot, sir," Semiazas replied smoothly. "There's no avoiding it."

"Well then," Lucifer clapped his hands together. "Be ready to move in when you have located her. Call in Jackson from the living room before you leave, would you?"

Semiazas did as he was told and flew away when the sound of screams started from the kitchen.

* * *

"No."

"Why the hell not?" Dean frowned at Tera as she skimmed through the contents of yet another ancient text. "You need to learn how to use one sometime."

"Because I said so," Tera replied, flipping a page. The hairs on the back of her neck rose and she glanced around, finding that Castiel was sending her a disapproving stare. She sighed in exasperation and closed the book, turning to face Dean.

"Look, I don't like guns. They're clunky, unreliable, and loud," Tera crossed her arms. "Besides, I'm more than proficient with a knife."

"You don't have to carry one," Sam intervened quickly, having caught the murderous look on Dean's face. "We just need to be sure you know how to use a gun and have decent aim, just in case it's needed."

Tera sighed and glanced down at the gun Dean had set on the table, examining it carefully before picking it up. It was heavy and slightly too large for her hands to handle comfortably. She checked for ammo before letting the gun slip between her fingers and back onto the table.

"You know," she chuckled, glancing up at Dean. "One would think that you don't trust me, not loading the gun."

"Well," he smirked. "One doesn't need a loaded gun to know how to use it."

"If you look here," Tera pointed at the gun. "_This_ little doohickey cocks the gun and you switch _this _littlethingamajig to turn off the safety. I think you know how to check the ammo..."

"Think you're a smartass?" Dean asked. "Then let's go outside and see if you're a good shot."

"One," Tera lifted a finger as she rose to her feet. "I _know_ I'm a smartass and two, _bring it on_, plaid princess."

"You got it," Dean grabbed the gun from the table and went off in search of ammo while Tera slipped outside. Sam shook his head from his place on his laptop. Two hours and twelve shots later, the two reentered the house, cheeks and noses painted red from the cold.

"...telling you, it's practice," Tera was saying as she slung the oversized coat she'd borrowed onto a kitchen chair. "No secret techniques or fancy machinery required."

"But c'mon, you said you use mostly your knife to fight," Dean shot back, grabbing a beer from the fridge and settling down on the chair opposite Sam. "Where did you find the time to practice shooting, Grandma?"

"Please, you could spend your entire life practicing and you won't even get close to this," Tera sat on top of the counter, a smug smirk on her face. "I'm out of your league."

"Hey, I'm a great shot," Dean took a swig of his beer before gesturing it towards Tera. "Besides, you won't be carrying a gun, so that makes me the best shot on the team."

Tera laughed. "What team? Just because I don't have the equipment doesn't mean I don't have the skills."

"Dean," Castiel appeared in the kitchen, immediately catching their attention. "I must be going."

"You sure you're all juiced up?" Dean asked. Tera chose to look out the window at the rapidly falling snow rather than Castiel.

"Yes," Castiel glanced over at Tera. "I should be back soon. If you ever need help, just send me a prayer. I'll be listening."

"No problem, Cas," Dean replied. "Just be sure to watch yourself."

Castiel nodded and disappeared without a sound.

Tera wondered if this would be the rest of her life, sitting around and making Castiel do all the heavy lifting.

"Well," she hopped off the counter and stretched like a cat. "I'm off to take a nap. I'm long overdue a nice sleep."

"Hey, we haven't figured out how to shield your mind from Semi-guy yet," Dean frowned. "You can't go to sleep."

Tera rolled her eyes. "_Semiazas_ needs to rest too. Like, _actual_ rest. He might be an angel, but did you see how knackered Castiel was? Semiazas was in my head for a helluva lot longer, and he's not _that_ much more powerful."

"We don't know much about him," Sam cut in.

"Fine," Tera let out an exasperated sigh. "But I do have a temporary solution to this little problem of ours."

"What is it?" Dean asked.

"The spell you're looking for provides automatic protection against any invasions or attacks against my mind while I'm asleep, right?" Tera paused, as if she were expecting an answer, but continued when she got none. "Why don't we just find a way to _manually_ provide protection?"

"You mean... go into your head while you're asleep and fight off any baddies that might try and come in?" Dean asked.

"Exactly!" Tera smiled, eyes lighting up. "I would get sleep, my mind would be safe, and you guys can take it in nightly shifts. Everyone wins!"

"Except for the part where we still might die in your head," Sam frowned. Tera deflated slightly.

"It would be a lot more difficult for Semiazas to even get access into my head simply by you being there. Well, that's not _entirely_ true. You'd have to get some instruction on how to deflect mental attacks and provide power to any shields I have when I'm awake so they work when I'm asleep, but it's not all that hard." Tera smirked. "I'm sure you guys will be up to the challenge. If all goes well, you won't even have to fight Semiazas head on."

"We'd have to find dreamroot, and a lot of it," Sam shook his head. "That stuff's hard to find."

"Well aren't you a pessimistic Percy..." Tera muttered. "Don't you have any contacts that specalize in herbs? What about the one that gave you some last time?"

Dean and Sam exchanged a glance. "How do you know about that?"

Tera's eyes fled to look at the ceiling, an exasperated sigh escaping her. "You know about dreamroot, rare as it is, and you didn't blink an eye at the prospect of being trained to do stuff like that. It's obvious you've worked with it before, meaning someone supplied you with it. So, where is that person?"

"She's dead," Sam replied. Tera frowned, her eyebrows furrowing.

"Does Bobby have any contacts?" She asked. A gruff bark of laughter came from the doorway to the kitchen where Bobby now sat in his wheelchair. Tera turned to him and repeated the question. "Would you happen to have any contacts that have dreamroot?"

"Afternoon to you too," Bobby replied. "I can ask around the hunter gravevine."

"Good, but that's gonna take too long," Tera shook her head. "You hunters need to figure out a better way to communicate. I'm surprised you let everyone go solo for so friggin' long. I mean, humans figured out a long, long time ago that two heads are better than one. Hell, _apes_ know that. Even an annual hunter family reunion is better than the system you miraculously managed to cook up."

"You done insulting us?" Dean scowled. "That's not gonna help. Besides, we can't do that now. Maybe later, when everything settles down."

Tera raised an eyebrow.

"You know what I mean," Dean grumbled.

"Well," Tera clapped her hands together. "I guess we're just gonna have to play our own game of hide and seek with Semiazas, then. Well - not we, more me, but whatever."

"And just what the hell are you suggesting?" Bobby asked.

"I just have to go to sleep at odd times," Tera shrugged. "I mean, there _are_ twenty-four hours in a day. He can't watch all of them, so I'll just have to jump around."

"That is just about the stupidest idea I've ever heard," Bobby scowled. "And I have to deal with these two _idjits._"

"Hey!" Dean and Sam interjected at the same time once their brains caught up after a moment of mutual agreement.

"Would you rather I get loaded up on coffee?" Tera sighed. "My caffeine buzzes coupled with sleep deprivation aren't the most pleasant, for anyone."

"It's better than sticking your neck out when you don't have to," Bobby retorted.

"But then I'd be able to help," Tera shot back. "Better than if I were high on caffeine, anyway. And with more than just taking some of the load off of protecting me. I could help you stop the apocalypse. It's a bit obvious that you boys need some serious assistance, seeing as you have next to no chance in pulling it off. Eye for an eye. Get what I'm saying?"

"What makes you think you can help us?" Sam asked. Tera groaned angrily.

"This isn't a fucking job interview, it's an offer to _help_. You four can only do so much," She scowled, planting two fists on her hips. "It looks like everyone's vying for your head. Angels, demons, even run-of-the-mill monsters are joining in on the fun."

"We'll figure something out," Dean frowned. "We always do. No need to throw you in the crossfire."

"I'm sorry, I thought I was alreadyin the crossfire. Have you forgotten what Castiel told us, how Heaven and Hell got a bounty on my head as obnoxious as yours?" Tera scoffed. "In for a penny, in for a pound. Better we stick together than be picked off one by one. It's common sense that we do things that are in our best interests, don't you think?"

"One, we're not exactly known for our adherence to common sense and two, you're not playing russian roulette with Semiazas," Bobby said firmly.

"One," Tera mocked. "I'm not exactly known for my adherence to the 'rules' and two, stupider isn't a real word."

"Yes, little Miss No Alcohol, course not," Dean leered.

"It's a lifestyle choice!" Tera's cheeks flushed. Bobby rose an eyebrow. Sam sighed and turned his gaze back to his laptop.

"Look, if you're not going to listen to us when we say your plan is a bad idea, then all we have to do is call Cas," Sam spoke. Tera's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You wouldn't say no to him, would you?"

"Sam Winchester," Tera bit out. "Is a monster."

Sam chuckled as Tera stormed from the kitchen. Dean clapped a hand on Sam's back.

"Nice play, Sammy," Dean smirked. He just shrugged and took another sip from his coffee, a soft smile on his face.

* * *

_People _like_ this story. Dude, it's like, magical. **Emilyrose475 **and **Mayrem **(who both have flowery things by the names) are my second and third reviewers, respectively, and both stumbled on this story. Maybe I should put up a sign so no one gets hurt. Get it? Get it? Yeah, I didn't think it was funny either. Actually, that's a total lie, because I'm totally cracking up about that now. Are you sure you guys aren't the same person or something, because the similarities are shocking. **Littlejay11** and **Teeny-Turtle**, along with the two reviewers above, have joined the list of followers while **DanathaKettu** and **Emilyrose475** are now part of the favorites group. I hug all the people that have even made it through to chapter five, because less than half of the people that read chapter one moved to chapter two, so hugs for all of you. I'll put some personalized responses to the reviews I get at the very end, I've decided. __You guys are like, wow. Fantastic and beautiful and surprisingly fluffy... t__here's a little easter egg in this chapter just for you because I thought it fit very well and thought it'd be a very hilarious nod to anyone who knows it. Yes, I had a lot of fun writing Lucifer's torture scene. Maybe that should say something about me, but damn, that was fun._

_Birthday's tomorrow, and I want to post another chapter then, but I haven't written chapter eight yet, but then again I thought chapter eight was brilliant because I introduce a character, and since I'm just writing things as I think, I've decided to post chapter seven tomorrow and then give myself a week off for my birthday. Who knows, maybe I'll end up writing it anyway. I'm going to this camp thing every morning for the next two weeks where I'm taking three classes: Sherlock Holmes, Psychology, and American Sign-Language. I think it'll be loads of fun, but I've never been there, so it might turn out to be a complete and utter disaster._

_**Emilyrose475:** Aw, thank you! I try to keep on a weekly schedule, like write one scene a day sorta deal, but it usually ends up with my having an epiphany and writing out a huge chunk of it in one sitting and then struggling to finish it by the deadline. Very happy you reviewed, so in return, I'll try rolling out the chapters when I get home tomorrow :)_

**_Mayrem:_**_ That's exactly what I'm looking for! Constructive criticism gives you bonus points! To be honest, I have no clue exactly what you guys feel when you read each chapter, so hearing that it makes you ever more curious is really exciting, because that's kinda what I'm trying to shoot for. You know how it is - a bunch of ideas for future events and suddenly you've got no clue if you've introduced something or not... well, it happens more often than not for me, and it makes things kinda fuzzy, but I do my best to keep things straight. Thanks a million for reviewing! _


	7. Missouri

_Double the reviews in one chapter. Guys, you're spoiling me._

* * *

**Adrift Star**

**Chapter 7**

**Missouri**

* * *

"Hello Cassy, how've you been?"

Castiel glowered at Semiazas, who stood smirking on the other side of the living room.

"You boys better deal with this someplace else," the angry woman in-between the two had fists planted against her hips. She frowned and raised an accusing finger. "Whatever is going on between you two, my poor furniture had nothin' to do with it!"

"I don't need your tongue to make you squeal, hairless ape," Semiazas growled before turning and flashing a bright smile at Castiel. "I've been watching you. My branches extend much farther than you believe. Of course you've got the place you're keeping her under lock and key, but I will find her eventually. She'll be with me once again. I see you're still afraid of her meeting me face to face. Those pesky memories you've managed to bury... you have noticed how they've been building momentum?"

Castiel allowed his eyes to narrow slightly as his angel blade slipped into his waiting fingers. The woman in-between the two tensed, easily sensing the malevolent energy emitted from both divine beings.

"I cannot allow that."

"Do you think you're doing her a favor by wiping her mind and relocating her every time I get close?" Semiazas took a step forward, violet eyes blazing in anger.

"Is letting her murder innocent humans supposed to be a better option? She would never want that."

"You forget who started it all. This never would've been a problem if you hadn't flicked that first crucial domino. You're the reason she has this much potential."

"I am the reason she hasn't done anything worse."

Semiazas let out a harsh bark of laughter. "Does 'done anything worse' mean reuniting with me? I haven't had access to her dreams in a while."

"You will not find her."

"Not with you in my way!" Semiazas snarled and darted forward, axe primed and ready in his hands. He moved with it as if it were a thin rapier rather than the massive display of weaponry it was, though the delay was still noticable. Clutching his own blade, Castiel ducked and lunged, twisting so the axe just barely slashed at his arm rather than lopping off his head, leaving a long, but shallow, wound. He ignored it and jabbed at Semiazas, but was blocked as he moved the large handle of the axe.

"You'll have to cook something up better than that," Semiazas chuckled.

"I don't have to," Castiel pushed all his weight against the handle, throwing Semiazas off-balance long enough for him to place a hand on the woman's shoulder and disappear.

Semiazas roared and, with a single well-placed swing, reduced the house to dust.

"_Castiel!_" Semiazas screamed to the wintery night sky. The walls of the surrounding homes shook as the fury of the fallen angel resonated through the neighborhood. With a single flap of his terrifying wings, Semiazas was gone, and had left behind a city shrouded in darkness.

* * *

Tera fumbled with the tab of a pop can, her fingers trembling too much to get a good grip. Sam sighed, took the can from her, and gave it back opened. Tera scowled, gave him the finger, and took a sip of her caffeinated drink.

"Are you su-"

"Yes."

Tera glared at Sam, who kept his gaze fixed on his laptop. The kitchen was dark, illuminated only by the light from the computer screen. Tera sat next to him, perched on the chair in a crouch, cradling the pop in her hands.

"Re-"

"Yes."

"You can at least let me finish," Tera grumbled.

"You'll only complain," Sam replied. Tera shifted slightly.

"I've been awake for four days," Tera muttered. "Of course I'll complain. I warned you."

"I remember," Sam sighed again, rubbing his eyes. "Go walk around or something."

"I already did that," Tera snipped. "Four times and it's only..." Tera glanced at the clock. "11:30."

"One more time isn't going to hurt you," Sam typed with quick bursts into the laptop.

"What are you looking at?" Tera asked, ignoring Sam's suggestion.

"Databases," Sam answered. She scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"_More_ databases?" she asked. "Are you looking for something in particular?"

"Not really," Sam took a sip of his cold coffee. Tera sighed and glanced around the kitchen for what seemed like the millionth time.

"Dean was a lot more fun to sit around with," Tera commented absently. "We watched anime."

"You did?" Sam paused to look at Tera. "Dean showed you... you know... Japanese porn?"

"Of course not!" Tera cried. "We watched a show called Bleach, though not the detergent bleach. It was strange because the show implied that _shinigami_, or Japanese gods of death, carried souls from the land of the living into something called a Seireitei. It reminded me somewhat of Rea-"

The hairs on the back of Tera's neck rose abruptly. She cut off her speech as she rose to stand on the chair, her hand smoothly grabbing the dagger that had been sitting on the table and aiming it toward the other side of the room. She was nearly mid-throw when a woman's southern drawl managed to stop her.

"Goodness gracious, child, what in the world do you think you're doing?"

The light flickered on, revealing Castiel and an unfamiliar woman with curly brown hair dressed in a robe and slippers.

"Cas!" Sam stood up, databases completely forgotten. "Missouri? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, Sammy!" Missouri smiled at Sam. "Look at how big you've grown! How've you and your brother been?"

"Um, what?" Tera alternated wide-eyed glances between the two. "You two know each other?"

"Of course we know each other, now get off that chair and put down that knife, I'm not gonna hurt you," Missouri shook her head, frowning in concern. "You look like you haven't slept in _days_, sweetheart."

"That's because I haven't," Tera replied, hopping down from the chair and looking at Castiel. "So, what's this lady doing here?"

"Missouri Moseley is the psychic that will help you guard your dreams and retrieve your memories," Castiel replied. Missouri strode towards Tera and engulfed one small hand with her own. She frowned and gazed at Tera with sad eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Tera dear," Missouri mumbled. "I'll do all I can to help you with your angel problem."

"Uh," Tera stared at Missouri, bewildered. "I have more of a dream problem than an angel problem."

"Nope, you've got yourself an angel problem," Missouri repeated. "An angel is muddling with your memories, and big time. I can feel his presence all over you."

"I already know that," Tera replied. "His name is Semiazas."

Missouri's lips pressed into a thin line, but she said no more on the issue.

"Go sit down while I make you some hot chocolate," Missouri ordered. "You look absolutely terrible."

Tera obediently sat down, too shaken by sleep deprivation, caffeine overload, and Missouri's forward personality to do much else.

"Missouri?" Dean looked just as shocked as Sam when he appeared in the doorway. Missouri turned from her place at the counter and smiled.

"Hello, Dean," Missouri raised a hand and waved him closer. "C'mere so I can take a good look at you."

Missouri's face fell the moment she touched Dean. "Time hasn't been very nice to you two boys, has it? And what in the world were you thinking, selling your soul to get your brother back?"

"Hey, it worked out," Dean's expression hardened at where the conversation was going. "We're back, safe and sound."

"Wait, what?" Tera spluttered, jumping to her feet. "You went to _Hell? _Are you kidding me? _That's_ why you look like you went through a cheese grater? Jesus Christ, Dean! You don't just _sell your soul!_"

"What the hell's up with the ruckus down here?" Bobby growled from the doorway.

"Did you know Dean sold his _fucking soul_ for Sam?" Tera cried.

"'Course I know," Bobby replied. "More importantly, who is that woman in my kitchen?"

"Missouri Moseley," Castiel answered. "Is the psychic here to help Tera protect her dreams and recover her memories."

Tera slumped back into her chair.

"I'm too exhausted to be the only one caring about this shit," Tera muttered, letting her cheek meet the cool surface of the table.

"Here you go, sweetheart," Missouri placed the newly brewed hot chocolate next to her head. "This'll make you feel better."

"When can we begin the procedure?" Castiel asked as Tera took a tentative sip of the warm drink and licked her lips.

"I'll need a few things, but the spell isn't too hard to make," Missouri replied, snaking a hand into the pocket of her robe and taking out a plain necklace with an amber arrowhead. "You're lucky I was polishing one of these babies up right before I went to bed."

"Are you gonna enchant it or something?" Dean asked.

"That's exactly what I'm gonna do," Missouri smiled approvingly. "Normally I sell these things as-is for twelve bucks a pop, but for the people who have a problem of the supernatural type, I sell fully enchanted for twenty."

"You could make a lot more money off of that," Tera said after taking a long drink from the hot chocolate. "I mean, if it really is enchanted, they'd owe you a lot more than a twenty for their troubles."

"The materials I need for the spell are easy to find," Missouri shrugged. "Frankly, I could sell it for the same price, but I need money too."

"But-"

"Not _all_ spells need fancy ingredients to be big," Missouri interrupted. "For the minor spells, so long as you got a sharp mind, you're good to go."

"How-"

"Because _some _people like letting the materials do all the heavy-lifting," Missouri raised an eyebrow as her eyes rolled in Sam and Dean's direction. Tera stifled a laugh by lifting the mug back to her lips.

"And the memory thing?" Tera asked. "Will it be like that too?"

"I'm not so sure, sweetheart," Missouri frowned. "I can try, but when I peeked into your head, I felt a lot more memories behind that lock than you'd expected."

"I'm already like, what, three hundred years old give or take?" Tera's eyebrows furrowed. "How much older can I be?"

"You haven't considered the fact that you haven't changed in all that time," Missouri pointed out. "Not even a tiny bit. You've never even gotten a hair cut."

"Wait, so you never thought it was weird that you were just _there?_" Dean asked. "Way near the beginning? Absolutely nothing?"

"It didn't seem important at the time!" Tera cried, indignant. "In your earliest memories, did you ever ask yourself why you were just _there?_ I had better things to do than just sit around."

"Like what?" Dean scoffed.

"Try building a city," Tera replied.

"You built a city?" Dean asked.

"Sieur Bienville was kind enough to give me a job as a foot-runner between all of the colonists when they were first building," Tera explained, a wistful smile on her face. "Eventually I moved up and became his assistant, but because I was a woman, I couldn't go any further. Then, when the time came that someone would notice I hadn't changed, he had someone pose as his assistant in public while I helped him in the privacy of his home. He was surprisingly open-minded, and never questioned why I never changed." Tera paused. "Huh. I wonder what he thought..."

"Wait, Bienville as in, the Father of New Orleans Bienville?" Sam asked, eyes twinkling eagerly. Dean rolled his own eyes, smirking at how predictable his brother was. "You were an assistant to _the_ Bienville?"

"I wasn't _an_ assistant, I was _his_ assistant," Tera frowned. "Well, I was his assistant when he was in New Orleans. He left for a bit because some big-headed nuts with friends in high places thought he wasn't doing well enough and summoned him to France. They left an even bigger nut in his place. _Crétin. _Poor Bienville had to deal with Native American tribes that they had been okay with before for ten years. He spent his entire life building New Orleans, only to have a bumbling idiot ruin his governorship."

"But what about when Bienville went back to France?" Sam asked. Tera sighed and shrugged her shoulders, bringing the warm mug closer to her.

"He just... left me behind," Tera mumbled, taking a sip of her hot chocolate. "He tried to help the colony, even from France. He did so much. Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville loved New Orleans with all his heart, up until the moment he died in 1767." Tera paused again before starting up hesitantly. "I went up the Mississippi before the rebels set up shop in the city. I tried to keep away from the war as much as I could, but it usually didn't work out."

"Wait, did you guys have Mardi Gras?" Dean asked with a small sly grin. "You know, with the-"

"_Yes_, we had Mardi Gras," Tera scowled. "No, at the beginning, it was just a simple feast and party. By the time I left New Orleans, masks were all the rage. I haven't been there since - too crowded."

"Alright," Missouri sighed, looking up from the bowl of ingredients with a satisfied smile. Tera blinked in surprise. She hadn't noticed Missouri amassing the materials needed for the spell. Missouri lifted the amber necklace from her pocket, placed it in the bowl, and murmured an incantation under her breath. Her eyes closed, her eyebrows furrowing in concentration as she focused on the ritual.

"There we go!" Missouri grabbed the necklace from the bowl and handed it to Tera, who glanced down to examine it. The amber arrowhead was small, no more than an inch long, and smooth. It felt slightly warm in her palm, but she couldn't tell if it was from the older woman handling it or from the amber itself.

"And that's all?" Tera asked, looking up at Missouri.

"Yep," Missouri placed her hands on her hips once more. "Put it on so you can go to sleep already, you look absolutely _miserable._"

"No problem," Tera smiled, putting the necklace on. She adjusted the black cloth cord so the amber sat loosely in-between her breasts and tucked it inside her shirt.

"See you all in twelve hours," Tera said after chugging down the remainder of her hot chocolate. "It was delicious, thank you, Ms. Moseley."

"Oh, it was nothing," Missouri waved it away. "And call me Missouri."

Tera nearly flew from the room. Missouri waited quietly a few moments, just to hear the bedroom door close from up the stairs, and then turned and sent a disapproving gaze at Castiel.

"We need to have a serious talk. All of us."

"I will tell you what you need to know before we begin the procedure," Castiel replied softly, finding the used bowl of ingredients suddenly very fascinating.

"Sweetheart, I won't do _anything_ unless I know _everything_ you know," Missouri frowned angrily. "You've been holding out too much information. Not telling the poor girl I understand, but not telling Sam and Dean before letting them watch out for her? That's just reckless and irresponsible."

"Not telling us what?" Dean asked, looking at Castiel. "Cas, what's so important we need to know?"

"Nothing," Castiel replied quickly. "I can tell you everything after the procedure-"

"We need to know _before_ the procedure exactly what you've done to her," Missouri interjected.

"Missouri, what do you mean by that?" Sam asked. Castiel's head cocked slightly to the side, going unnoticed by all but Bobby, who sat facing Castiel's back.

"I heard you and the other being that came to my house talking," Missouri frowned at Castiel. "Semiazas, you called him, sent some very serious accusations your way. Care to explain yourself?"

"_After the procedure_," Castiel repeated, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.

"C'mon," Dean said, moving so he stood right in front of him. "We've already figured out she's an angel. We can take whatever it is you feel you can't say. You can trust us, Cas."

Castiel's lips pursed tightly as he glanced between Dean's open gaze and the doorway to the hall.

"I can't."

"Tell me this, Cas," Dean started after several moments of agonizing silence following his statement. "What you can't say, what you don't want to say, _whatever_... would us knowing make it dangerous for Tera?"

"...yes."

Dean examined Castiel's posture, scrutinized the look on his face and in his eyes, before slowly nodding and taking a step back.

"Okay, Cas. I believe you."

"Thank you, Dean."

"But after her memory's back, you _have_ to tell us everything you know," Dean said quickly.

"Of course," Castiel's fists unclenched in relief.

"Well, I'm goin' back to bed," Bobby sighed and rolled out of sight. Dean patted Castiel's shoulder as he passed him.

"G'night, Cas," he murmured.

"Good night, Dean," Castiel replied. Sam followed Dean out of the room after closing the lid on his laptop and giving Castiel his own good night. Missouri stared at the angel, an air of disappointment practically radiating from her side of the kitchen.

"I'll show you where you'll be staying," Castiel offered. "If you'll follow me..."

Missouri shook her head but followed when Castiel went up the stairs and opened the door to the master bedroom.

"There are certain things you have to tell me before I can even begin trying to help Tera," Missouri said quietly, holding the door open. "It's better that you tell me it sooner rather than later. I need to know _exactly_ what I'm dealing with. I won't try and make you say what you have to say before you want to say it in front of the boys. I see how much they mean to you, and I can tell you this: it goes both ways. So don't blow it, you hear?"

"I understand," Castiel replied softly. "Good night."

Missouri chuckled faintly. "Good night, Castiel."

Castiel crept down the hall and silently slipped into the guest bedroom, where Tera lied on the bed with her back to the door. He sat down on the bed beside her, gazing out the window.

"You shouldn't try things like that," he spoke after looking at the dark cloudy sky for a few minutes. An exasperated sigh belonging to Tera filled his ears.

"You can't blame me for trying," she muttered. "It was worth a shot."

"Go to sleep," Castiel replied. "You'll need your energy for tomorrow."

"What about your arm?" she asked. The bed creaked and rocked slightly, indicating she'd sat up. "Are you sure it'll be okay?"

"It'll be fine," one of Castiel's hand hovered over the long-forgotten wound. "I'll heal."

A small hand fell on Castiel's shoulder, making his glance back to look at Tera. Her emerald eyes blazed like a beacon in the dark, growing wide, almost pleading.

"Whatever it is you did," she whispered. "I trust you."

Castiel stared for a long time before he spoke slowly. "How?"

"A long time ago, someone told me to trust what I feel," Tera's grip on his shoulder tightened. "I feel _you_, Castiel. It took me a while to figure out, but I know it. Whenever I'm around you, I feel something in my chest, something so _warm_ and _bright_, and I have to join it with something, or else it's as if everything will burst," her words tumbled over one another. "It's something I've been depraved of for what feels like forever, and touching you, being near you, sates this hungry thing inside, and I don't know _why_, but it hardly seems to matter."

Tera's chest heaved, her breathing having gone way off-rhythm. Her weary eyes shone with raw emotion. Castiel tentatively raised his hand and placed it over her's.

"Sleep," Castiel repeated. "You'll need your energy for the morning."

"Only if you get rest as well," Tera replied adamently. Castiel nodded and complied, allowing Tera's grip on his shoulder to pull him down and lie on the bed facing her. Her hand released his jacket and slowly trailed down his arm to his palm before intertwining their fingers tightly. He responded in kind, finding the contant surprisingly pleasant. Letting out a deep breath, Tera closed her eyes and was immediately fast asleep.

Castiel examined their hands absently as he tried to fend off the guilt from Semiazas' earlier words and failed.

* * *

"What do you mean, you're not ready yet?"

Semiazas focused straight ahead, refusing to let his gaze budge.

"Her location is still hidden from me, as she hasn't been sleeping," Semiazas repeated. "I will-"

"I'll tell you what you'll do," the Morning Star's eyes shined dangerously. "You're going to check up on any of Castiel's buddies that might be roaming around the earth like you should have done _in the first place!_"

"Yes sir," Semiazas replied stiffly. Lucifer looked up and down at him, examining with disgust.

"Honestly," he scoffed. "Could you be any more useless?"

When Semiazas didn't respond, Lucifer continued. "Go do your job and get out of my sight. I'm ashamed to be your brother."

Semiazas immediately obeyed and ignored the sharp pang that resonated through his chest, which revealed the emptiness.

* * *

_You guys are just fantastic. **Emilyrose475 **and_ **_Mayrem_**_ were nice enough to review once again on the last chapter, along with **BlueEyesBurning**, who also alerted this story. Thank you very much for the birthday present, **Mayrem**, I was excited to see your name on the favorites list! All of this stuff you guys are giving me is positive and it makes me super duper happy to see such wonderful people providing feedback and encouragement. I almost don't deserve all this praise! Today was great, apart from the fact I forgot my nametag this morning at home from the camp thing I'm going to and I had to go out and eat birthday dinner with my mom. Talk about awkward. Classes are going well (I already know the entire alphabet for American Sign Language and several phrases after barely one day!), and I received great presents (three books, two B&N gift cards equating to $70, a vase of flowers, a hand-me-down iPod, and an operational TARDIS full of candy). Try not to throw rocks at me if I did Missouri wrong. I'm gonna move onto the individualized responses in a sec, but I want to tell you guys that I'll have the rest of the week off (technically, as I've already started writing chapter eight), and so if I work on the chapter at all, it'll be less work and more fun (though I do love writing, it can get frustrating. I spent like three hours last night reading about Bienville [not a lot on him, surprisingly enough. I don't even have a clue what he looks like, apart from a couple of pictures] and an hour reading about fashion in the 18th century). _

**_Emilyrose475:_**_ Aw, thanks a bunch. It's when I'm writing the author's notes that I get all rambly and everything is all over the place (subject A is above, where I put brackets inside brackets). I like writing funny scenes in fanfics just because they're funny and absolutely a blast to make and visualize. I was kinda hoping that Tera would be able to match Dean step for step. I really admire Dean's personality, and I wanted to sort of implement it into Tera, so that worked out well! I'm trying to make Bobby the grumpy yet affectionate uncle that takes care of his niece and nephews (Dean, Sam, Tera, Castiel). Hopefully I'll be able to pan the story out in a way that'll make them all a tight-knit unit. Tera's physical age is probably somewhere after 15-16, though she looks much younger (13-14) due to her height. She's like a midget compared to Dean, Sam, and Castiel. This is getting kinda wordy, but I hope you continue to feel loved, because I assure you, you are :)_

**_Mayrem:_**_ Bah, no thanks for me. Reviews are rewards in their own right. I kinda breathed a sigh of relief when I read that you thought I portrayed Sam and Dean's responses well, as well as how Tera is already meshing herself into the storyline without out trouble. I love writing the conversations. I might've gone a bit overboard on how often they interrupted each other, but I liked the way they kept getting cut off. Again, thank you vurry much for the birthday present :)_

**_BlueEyesBurning:_**_ *squeals* That means so much to me, thank you! I really am glad you think that :) I'm not planning on having any sort of romance for Tera, or any other character for that matter, but I realize I threw you a metal chew toy in this chapter with this last scene xD The story is all fluff, no _actual_ romance involved, though I've made it that, if you want, you can play pretend. Maybe it's a reflection of my own feelings, but I find platonic love so much more meaningful than romance. _

_Until next time! (Oh my god that was the longest thing ever. I think I'll start writing PMs instead of making a massive author's note, because that seems a lot more sensible) (It's late because I was putting off writing the author's note for like, four hours. Sorry!)_


	8. Frère Sammy, Dormez-vous?

_I thank the seventeen people that sludged through the first seven chapters and to three particular individuals that are quickly becoming repeat offenders when it comes to reviewing._

* * *

**Adrift Star**

**Chapter 8**

**Frère Sammy, Dormez-vous?**

* * *

_"It's time for a little change in scenery."_

* * *

Sam stared in bewilderment at the middle-aged man standing in front of him. He wore a white wig atop his head and a modest yet elegant suit, with an utterly shocked look taking over his face. His hand delicately held a bon-bon, as if he'd been about to shove it in her mouth. Behind the man was a desk filled with neatly arranged piles of papers and several lit candles, while the walls were adorned with old styled paintings and portraits. The colors of the wallpaper were a warm dark red, and two windows revealed a starry night sky.

"Uh," Sam said reluctantly, a nervous smile twitching onto his lips. "How's it going?"

The man, obviously a high-priority figure, shouted in French what sounded like abuse, dropped the bon-bon, and pulled a letter-opener from his desk and held it above his head like a butcher's knife. Sam tried to keep up, but the experience from his numerous high school French classes was flattened underneath the rapid flurry of phrases.

"Alors..." Sam muttered under his breath. The French version of 'umm' that had been taught to him as a joke by one of his French teachers flowed easily off his tongue. He held his hands up in the universal sign of surrender as he struggled to get the words out. "Permettez-moi de vous expliquer, s'il vous plaît!"

The man paused in his rant and looked him over, eyes flicking up and down his figure and then narrowing in what seemed to be disgust. Sam's eyes widened when the man called a familiar name. A younger man, this one shorter, with simpler dress and a less graceful stance, shuffled into the room. The taller of the men frowned, shook his head, and shooed him back out of the room with a few angry remarks. Sam opened his mouth to speak again, but the man cut him off with a sharp wave of his hand.

"Your French is pitiful," the man said evenly in accented English. "You may speak English, but only because I don't like seeing you insult my mother tongue."

"Sorry," Sam replied. "I thought you might not speak English."

"What kind of fool refuses to learn English with the English colonies so close?" the man answered, obviously unimpressed. "Certainly not I."

"Right," Sam said slowly, trying to absorb everything. "And you are...?"

"I am Sieur de Bienville," he replied. "What sort of man are you to wear drab like that?"

"My name is Sam Winchester," Sam chose to ignore the jab at his clothing in order to really let sink in what was going on. "Can I ask what year it is?"

He raised a curious eyebrow, but complied. "The year is 1722."

Sam stared blankly. "You're kidding."

"I am not..." Bienville frowned in confusion. "...kidding."

"But how did I get here?" Sam wondered aloud, glancing around the office once again.

"What do you mean by that?" Bienville asked, beginning to grow angry. "You simply appeared in my room!'

"Where's Tera?" Sam ignored Bienville, instead recalling the earlier conversation. "She should be here by now, so where is she?"

"What do you know of my assistant?" Bienville asked. "I will tell you nothing unless you give me answers."

"Tera's a friend of mine," Sam replied impatiently. "Now where is she?"

"I wasn't aware she had any friends outside La Nouvelle-Orléans," Bienville's eyes drifted to over Sam's shoulder before snapping back to Sam, who narrowed his own and turned to look, only to be met by a proper dagger poking the small of his back.

"Donnez-moi _une_ raison pourquoi je ne devrais pas vous tuer juste ici."

Sam swallowed at her tone; though quiet, it was definitely sharper than the dagger. Cold, hard, unforgiving... as well as completely accent free, but definitely her.

"Il est un démon, monsieur," she raised her voice for Bienville. "Puis-je le tuer?"

"Nonsense," Bienville chuckled, placing a gentle hand on her wrist. "Sam Winchester is simply a man."

"But, _monsieur_. This demon," Tera switched to English effortlessly and without question. "He can hurt you, he can hurt the townspeople!"

"That's exactly what the townspeople said when they found you," Bienville admonished. Tera scowled and reluctantly tucked the dagger back into her sleeve, though she made plenty sure the tip was clearly visible. "Thank you, my dear."

"Tera," Sam started once the dagger was put away, turning and bending his head down to face her directly. "You need to snap out of it. Something's going on, and-"

Tera's fierce glare cut him off mid-sentence.

"I'm not doing anything for you," she hissed.

"No!" Sam ran an aggravated hand through his hair. "You were talking about this-" how long ago was it? Sam couldn't remember. "Earlier. With Cas and Dean and Missouri and Bobby. Remember? Cas brought Missouri so she could help you with your dream and memory problems. She's a psychic. She gave you a necklace to keep Semiazas out of you head while you slept, one with an amber arrowhead. You had to stay up for four nights straight before because we wouldn't let you risk taking naps."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Tera narrowed her eyes at him, clearly unimpressed. "You're insane. _Monsieur_, I recommend kicking him out."

"You know we can't do that," Bienville placed a hand on her shoulder. "That'd be cruel, not to mention illogical. Look at how Winchester is built, how strong he is. He could help with the building around town."

Tera glowered at Sam for a few tense moments before letting out an annoyed sigh. "I should've trained you better."

Bienville let out a hearty laugh that originated deep in his chest and patted her shoulder, making her crack the smallest of smiles. Sam, on the other hand, nervously laughed along.

New Orleans, Louisiana, 1722.

Oh boy.

* * *

Sam had to admit, he loved his new clothes.

His shirts, though a bit rough, were thin and loose, saving him from hours of working in the humid air with his plaid shirt sticking to his skin. Bienville had immediately sent him to his personal tailor (_"I'll personally see you to be hanged if you continue to wear that _horrendous_ pattern."_)for special measurements (_"Dear God, man, what have you been eating? You remind me of the moose of my youth!"_). Sam was suspicious at first, as he'd literally poofed into a different universe, or _something_, and Bienville was more than trusting enough to welcome him with open arms. Sam couldn't believe that an army veteran such as him would be so accepting of potential threats. Then again, Bienville welcomed an angel, albeit an amnesiac, into his private household.

Maybe he shouldn't be so surprised.

Tera, on the other hand, was a completely different story. She followed him around everywhere, sneaking behind stacks of cut lumber and temporary store-huts as he hauled wood and helped lift and transport heavy objects. She could account for everything he'd done throughout the day, from bringing some tools to a site on the other side of the settlement, to when he'd ducked into a pocket of woods to answer nature's call.

The other men had at first greeted him with sighs of relief. When they realized his French was less than satisfactory, they brushed it off. Englishman, they assumed. One that was naive enough to believe English would be good enough in a French colony. But as the days turned into a week, and then two, and then three, Sam watched as the men began sending sympathetic and pitied glances his way. Several of the women had put it upon themselves to teach him _proper_ French and _proper_ manners and how to dress _proper_ in their free time. One of the women, wife to one of the more prominent cooks in town, would send her two sons with a basket of various leftover chocolates near the end of the day, despite the fact that he dined with Bienville every night.

Such as now.

Sam glanced across the table, where Bienville sat at the other end with Tera dutifully by his side. He'd been observing Tera for the last couple of nights now and had noticed that she looked increasingly smug the more time went on. It was nearly imperceptible, just a small wrinkle of her eyes whenever she sent a glance his way, but the mischevious twinkle that followed was more than enough confirmation.

"What have you been telling the others?" Sam asked, straight to the point. Her eyes widened slightly as she adopted the look of perfect innocence.

"What could you possible mean?" Tera replied with a tentative smile. Bienville let out a bark of laughter as he brought the plate of bon-bons closer.

"You're telling them something," Sam narrowed his eyes. "The villagers are treating me weird."

"Maybe you've done something," Tera suggested lightly.

"No, I think _you've_ done something," Sam shot back.

"I didn't do anything but give you a cover story," Tera sipped at her tea, obviously trying to reign in her amusement, but failing miserably. "We found you unconscious on the beach. Your ship had sunk while at sea, and you were the only survivor. We suspect that you may have hit you head sometime during the horrific event, as you're very... well, _slow. _We have done all we could, but alas, it has been for naught. You're unable to learn anything a child couldn't learn, but because of your size, you've found meaning in your now meaningless existence."

Sam's face had turned into one of total disbelief by the end, while her eyes only twinkled more.

"I believe Madam Julie and her friends have made you their pet project," Bienville commented offhandedly. "I'm glad, too. She makes the most delightful bread. Say, Winchester, will you be helping with the repairs on the church?"

"Of course," Sam replied.

"Perhaps you could make a few improvements while you were at it," Bienville added smoothly, popping another bon-bon in his mouth. "Frankly, that storm was a Godsend. The church was originally supposed to be more grand than a hastily-made wooden structure. Over the years, the men have become much more skilled at building, as we are constantly expanding, but that led to having no time to touch up the church."

"I'll help either way," Sam answered. What else was he to do with his time? He'd already scoured the town numerous times for the others, but came up with nothing to show for it. The best Sam could come up for how he got there was Semiazas. Maybe he'd already gotten a hold of their location and had popped them into the past for annoying him. Cas _had_ said he was considerably more powerful than the average angel. But that didn't fit. Why would Tera be here too, and why couldn't she remember? Why not Dean and Cas and Bobby and Missouri? Thinking about how he ended up in Bienville's private office made his head spin. The last clear thing he remembered was following Dean out of the kitchen.

Tera didn't believe a word of it, no matter how many times he'd tried to explain to her. He couldn't get her to help him in the slightest. Not unusual for Tera; at least, it wasn't in the few days he'd known her before they were sent here.

"I'm glad," Bienville smiled serenely and stood from his seat, recapturing Sam's attention. "Would anyone else like some more tea?"

* * *

Sam's eyes fluttered open, seemingly of their own accord. Drowsily, he looked around the borrowed room with a slight frown forming on his face. Though he usually woke up early to help out, he never woke up before dawn. Something didn't feel right, though as Sam stood up, he thought it might just be his mattress. Pushing that thought away, along with ignoring the way his back ached and grabbing the knife from underneath his pillow (his only weapon, unfortunately), he slunk from the guest room in Bienville's home (more of an estate, really) and out into the town.

The more he walked among the empty streets, the more the sense of wrongness grew. Something, something _important_, was off, but he couldn't figure out what. Sam sighed and made his way toward the church to inspect the damage. He hadn't had a chance to do it before, and since he was already up and about, he might as well start planning out the repairs. At least, that's what he thought before he approached the church itself. Though rather shoddy-looking, it had fared well during the storm apart from half the roof being ripped off. From inside, soft voices somehow found their way to his ears.

Gripping the knife more tightly in his grip, he crept to the door. The voices inside abruptly stopped before he could place a hand on the handle. Slowly, he did just that and let the door creak open. He immediately scanned the inside of the church he could see from outside the doorway, but when he saw nothing, he took a tentative step inside.

"Take _one _more step and you're gonna be in for a really bad day."

Sam's head snapped to his right at the familiar voice and smiled.

"Dean, it's me, it's Sam!" Sam called, raising his knife loosely in one hand. Dean lowered the shard of glass he'd had pointed directly at Sam and sighed in relief.

"Dammit, Sam," Dean groaned. "You scared the - wait, what the hell are you wearing?"

"Clothes," Sam replied quickly. "Look, we're in the year 1722. We're in New Orleans and Tera's here," he paused for a moment. "And Bienville."

"No."

Sam nearly had a heart attack when blue eyes that practically shone appeared from the darkness behind Dean. Castiel moved so he stood beside him, a mildly troubled expression on his face.

"What'dya mean, no?" Dean asked.

"We weren't sent back in time," Castiel frowned. "We were forced into Tera's dreams."

"But I was waiting for you guys for three weeks," Sam shook his head, grimacing. "These people think I'm mentally handicapped. How could these be her dreams?"

"Maybe she thinks you're mentally handicapped on the inside," Dean smirked. Sam rolled his eyes.

"I don't know how, but this feels exactly as it did when I was previously inside Tera's dreams," Castiel replied, ignoring Dean's response. "Your sense of time must either be skewered, or her consciousness is making you believe that much time has passed."

"Woah, wait, her _consciousness?_" Dean sputtered. Castiel nodded.

"It is the same as having the ability to control one's dreams, only they do it unaware," Castiel explained. "The dream takes on the impression that you've been there for a long time. For example, there have been incidents of humans having dreams where they were an entirely different person. They would live their entire lives, birth until death, and would experience the same developmental milestones any human would normally achieve. At least, they believed they did. In the end, the dream is the same length as dreams that felt like just seconds long."

"Only this isn't someone else's life, these are Tera's memories," Sam added before frowning. "Do you guys know how you got here?"

Dean and Castiel exchanged a glance, making Sam groan.

"I didn't think of that," Dean admitted sheepishly. Castiel shrugged and said, "I haven't the faintest."

"Okay," Sam sighed and turned towards the door. "So, Tera?"

"Yep," Dean said quickly, patting Castiel's shoulder and then following Sam out. Castiel shook his head and ran to catch up.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?" Tera shrieked, pulling the covers closer around her body so it hid her arm as it snaked underneath her pillow. She glowered at Sam, baring her teeth. "I never should've trusted you, you filthy little _mutt!" _

"Calm down, Tera, we're not going to hurt you," Sam exclaimed quickly, raising his hands in the universal surrender symbol.

"What are you going to do, Sam? Hmm?" Tera asked, carefully curling her fingers around the hilt of her dagger. "Who's your friend? It looks like he was in the middle of a cock fight. He's wearing the same ridiculous clothes as you were when you first came here."

Dean snorted. "Are you calling _my_ clothes ridiculous? And is it just me, or are things feeling a bit too creepy familiar?"

"I guess a person doesn't change all that much in three hundred years," Sam muttered. Taking good use of the momentary distraction, Tera's hand shot out from underneath the covers and gracefully chucked the dagger directly at Dean, whose instincts immediately prompted him to throw himself to the ground. Tera gasped at Castiel, who had appeared at the foot of the bed and had intersected the blade's path using his chest. She gaped in horror, hands over her mouth, as Castiel calmly pulled the dagger from his chest and nodded towards her.

"Hello again, Tera."

"Oh my god," Tera untangled herself from the bed covers and scrambled toward him, a look of stricken panic on her face. "S-sam, get the medical supplies, there are some on the top shelf of my dresser."

"That won't be-"

"Shut up," she snapped before eyeing the wound, her face falling in disbelief. "That dagger was..."

"Ineffective," Castiel brushed off, clasping the hand that hovered hesitantly over the place in his chest the blade had gone in. "Tera, you must believe us. We would not do anything to hurt you."

Tera struggled for words as she caught Castiel's familiar blue gaze. She thought her racing heart just might stop beating when she recognized the wisp of bright light hiding beneath his eyes. _His vessel's_, a small indignant voice scoffed at her.

"...Castiel?"

Castiel blinked in surprise and released her hand, taking a step back and looking somewhat guiltily at the floor.

"What, so you remember Cas but not us?" Dean exclaimed.

"So, do you know how we're supposed to get out of here?" Sam asked, shutting Dean up with a sharp jab to the arm.

"You're not _supposed_ to get out of here," an accented voice chuckled. Everyone turned and found Bienville standing in the doorway, licking chocolate off his fingers, a familiar twinkle in his eye.

* * *

_Woohoo! I actually wrote most of this in the two days after my birthday, but I had no idea how to end it, so I ended it with a cliffhanger, because why the hell not? Also, I might've ignored the week off I gave myself, but that's okay. To be honest, that first sentence thingy at the beginning was just one of those things that started as a sort of blurb of gibberish. You know, the scribble when you check a pen. Then I'm like, wow, this would be perfect, because I don't want Tera or you guys figure out who she actually is in the first ten chapters. So yeah, you get a big delay. Sorry it's a bit shorter than usual, and if anyone sees anything wrong with the logic of the dream thing or how Castiel explained it, seriously point it out. It was like, four in the morning when I wrote that, and though it still makes sense to me now, it could be just a bunch of words with absolutely no meaning. _

_I've been obsessed with Ten Inch Hero for about a week or should I say Priestly. I watched the movie for Jensen and stayed for Priestly. Seriously, I recommend it times a million. There's an amazing TIH fanfic that's over 200k words long entirely about Priestly. It's feeding me way too much :)_

_**MeaFideles **was oh-so-kind to follow this story and become the 10th follower, so kudos for you, **MeaFideles**! Once again, **Mayrem**, **BlueEyesBurning**, and **Emilyrose475** reviewed for chapter seven... merci beaucoup!_

_Until next time, loves._


	9. Burn Your Kingdom Down

_I thank everyone that read and reviewed this piece. You have no idea how fantastic it is to see._**  
**

* * *

**Adrift Star**

**Chapter 9**

**Burn Your Kingdom Down**

* * *

"Bienville?" Tera asked, frowning. "What are you doing up?"

"Sweetheart," Bienville's smile grew as he pointed one chocolatey finger towards Dean who glowered back at him. "I'm sure Dean will be more than happy telling you who I really am, seeing as how he looks like he might soil his pants at any moment."

"_Loki,_" Dean spat out. Sam's eyes widened as he looked at him

"What?" Tera's frown deeped. "Dean, don't be ridiculous. Bie-"

Tera's indignant statement faded as she watched Bienville angular face soften and rearrange itself. His hair lengthened and went from dark brown to a deep gold that matched his radiant eyes. A mischievous smile played on his lips, looking more natural on his face than any other. His very being seemed to be warmth itself; or at the very least, emanate it from every pore.

"No," Castiel disagreed quietly, his eyes narrowing slightly. "A Trickster is not strong enough to put himself in the dreams and memories of someone like Tera, let alone transport others in along with it. Is it safe to assume he also had no idea of her whereabouts, which in itself makes it much more difficult."

"He's like you," Tera shuddered, looking into stranger's brilliant eyes, blinding as they were. "He's..."

"An angel," the stranger cut in, raising his arms and splaying his fingers wide in jazz hands as his smile grew infinitely larger. "Surprise!"

"But even then," Castiel began. "An ordinary angel like Semiazas has difficulties getting into Tera's mind without the amulet. He'd have to be an archangel to be powerful enough to get through the spell."

"Aw," the stranger groaned, pouting at Castiel. "You didn't have to go and ruin the fun, little bro!'

"Which one are you?" Dean asked, expression still guarded. "Michael doesn't have a vessel, or else I wouldn't be having angels on my ass goading me to say yes. Lucifer probably would've tried to convince Sam to say yes to _him_ by now. So which one: Gabriel or Raphael?"

"Gabriel," Castiel and Tera replied simultaneously. They exchanged a quick glance before Tera lowered her eyes, letting Castiel continue. "Raphael wouldn't leave Heaven, and I doubt he would spend potentially precious time playing around."

"Hey, at least I don't have a stick up my ass like those two," the newly named Gabriel smirked. "But yeah, they call me Gabriel."

"Why aren't you with your butt-buddy brothers? Got bored or something?" Gabriel rolled his eyes.

"I ditched those SOBs a long time ago. I forgot that you didn't get the memo. Maybe I'll send a postcard next time. But first order of business: Dean, Sam. It's so nice to see you again!"

"Bite me."

"Aw, you're not still mad about what I did the last time we met up, are you?" Dean narrowed his eyes and scowled.

"You killed Dean. Repeatedly. For days. On a Tuesday," Sam replied bluntly.

"Doesn't the look he gets on his face when... well, just his face really... doesn't it make you want to kill him? Not even a little bit?"

"What have you got against Tuesdays?" Tera asked.

"Tera, not helping," Sam groaned.

"Well, he's still alive, isn't he?"

"Anyhow, I'm here to get you two motivated. Call me your own personal self-esteem coach, cause I'm gonna get you ready for the big times. The real world out there? It's waiting for you two doofuses to answer the big question right when it's popped."

"You want us to say yes to Michael and Lucifer?" Sam exclaimed.

"Bingo."

"Wait a minute, I thought you left your brothers. What the hell are you doing playing with their toys?" Tera asked, anger creeping in her voice.

"You never really leave home. I can feel them stinking up the atmosphere with all their righteous anger or whatever. I'm not helping either of them, I'm just making sure their fight goes smoothly for me," Gabriel said, waving one hand vaguely.

"You're not helping either of them? What kind of bull statement is that? You-"

"Don't go around saying you understand what I'm doing because believe me sister, you don't."

"I understand exactly what you're doing, you arrogant dick. Don't try to hide your intentions from me, especially in my own goddamned head. Instead of being the mature archangel you're supposed to be, you're a coward that lets himself be distracted by his older brothers. My advice? Grow up." Tera had, by that time, stormed up to Gabriel, easily backing him up against the wall. "Don't cower with your wings tucked between your shoulder blades like a fledgling - stop them! Don't be afraid to stand up to them when they're being vengeful morons. I mean, _someone _has to. I don't see any other angels picking up the slack because, well, I guess when you're that old, you have to fight hard not to be a dick. No offence, Castiel."

Castiel frowned and narrowed his eyes.

"You also seem to have forgotten that the humans are in our charge. By letting Lucifer and Michael duke it out in Sam and Dean, you'll be directly responsible for the death of _billions. _We are supposed to care for them, not condemn them."

"Our? We?" Gabriel cut in with a curiously raised eyebrow.

"Uh, your, you, sorry."

"Do you think it's easy watching them fight? I love my brothers, and watching them try to tear the other's throat out..."

"No, but I expected you to know better. Protecting the humans, protecting all of creation, comes first. It has always been this way, ever since they were created, and it will never change. Killing them for your own selfish reasons is unforgivable. You might get away with it, but that doesn't make it right. Why do I even have to _remind _you?" Tera huffed, crossing her arms against her chest.

"Maybe you should practice what you preach, sister," Gabriel was the one glowering now, using his superior height to tower and overshadow her. She let out a surprised breath and stumbled back to the bedpost. Gabriel closed his eyes and turned to place his attention on Castiel.

"What the hell have _you_ been doing playing around with her anyway?" Gabriel asked. "I mean, you've been trailing behind her since the Fall. You were definitely my last choice. Especially with _her._"

"You did not know her while in Heaven," Castiel growled from deep within his throat, moving so he stood in front of Gabriel. "You should not make such assumptions."

"Oh, I knew her," Gabriel mused, a faraway look in his eye. "I saw her, right after she had been created. Don't get me wrong, you were all different from one another in some way, but _she_ was much more special." Gabriel's face hardened as he shrugged. "Then she Fell. That's that."

"Who is Castiel trailing behind? She's an angel? Why was she so special?" Tera asked. Gabriel and Castiel didn't bother to even turn their heads. Tera's expression darkened.

"She didn't have anything to do with me once she left Heaven. I wasn't responsible for her. She _chose_ to go with that other angel," Gabriel continued. "If they're gone, they're gone. She's a lost cause to the others upstairs, just like the all the rest. _That's_ why I was so curious. Little soldier Castiel following her like a lost puppy. It was pretty cute, actually. I have some pictures, if anyone wants to see them."

Tera opened her mouth, only to be cut off by Gabriel, hand still in his jacket.

"But not you. You called me names, so you don't get to see my pictures."

Tera scowled and attempted to bore holes in the archangel's head.

"Pictures?" Castiel frowned. "I-"

"Don't look so surprised," Gabriel had a particularly smug look on his face after glancing at Castiel. "You didn't actually believe you were able to hide her all these millennium because you were good at sneaking around, did you?"

"I-"

"Lucky for you I watched your back whenever you messed up, or you wouldn't even be here right now." Gabriel's head tilted slightly to one side. "One thing I've always wanted to know: why'd you do it? You might be rebelling by helping these plaid babies, but she's still a traitor, or else she wouldn't have Fallen."

"Wait, you've been watching them for millennium and you didn't bother find out for yourself what they were doing?" Dean asked. "You're an archangel for Christ's sake, there must've been some other way to find out."

"Believe me, when you're an immortal archangel with the world at your fingertips, you figure out ways to, ah," a sly grin slid across Gabriel's face. "Make things _interesting._"

"No shit," Dean muttered.

"So?" Gabriel asked, glancing expectantly at Castiel, whose lips tightened into a thin line.

"She never chose," he said quietly. "She didn't leave Heaven of her own free will."

"Of course she did," Gabriel protested. "I watched them Fall myself, I should know."

"You didn't watch closely enough."

"Okay, who the hell is '_she_'?" Tera spat. "Being kept out of the loop in one thing, but being completely ignored is a whole other dimension.

Castiel and Gabriel caught the other's gaze for less than a moment before Gabriel turned and smiled gently at Tera.

"Worry not, sister dear," Gabriel said, eyes twinkling. "You'll learn soon enough."

"You know what?" Tera said hurriedly, knuckles growing white on the bedpost. "Stick whatever grievances you have with your brothers down the toilet and get-"

The room shook violently, knocking off a vase from the top of Tera's dresser and causing it to shatter noiselessly.

"What's going on?!" Tera cried, holding onto the bed frame to keep her steady as she looked frantically at the shuddering walls.

"Your dream is collapsing!" Castiel shouted over the rumbling. "You're waking up!"

_"... with you?"_

_"Nothing is wrong... strange... His path?..."_

Gabriel cursed and raised his hand toward Sam and Dean, only to dissolve into golden sand and be blown away.

_"... for me?... grow close... Earth..."_

_"... conditioned... despise..."_

Castiel's eyes widened as he recognized the arguing voices from his previous expedition into her dreams.

"If Gabriel brought us here, why haven't we poofed?" Sam asked over the noise.

"We," Castiel hesitated. "hitched a ride in. That does not mean we get a return trip."

"So we're stuck here?" Dean questioned, glancing around nervously as the quakes grew stronger.

"No," Castiel replied. "Tera's mind will automatically push us out once she's fully awake."

_"... Lucifer... nonsense..."_

_"... not..."_

_"... Semiazas... _I know you_... better... yourself..."_

She froze, staring at the ceiling.

"_... Semiazas?... stop... let go!... no!"_

Tera gave a start when the others disappeared into nothing.

"Castiel? Dean?" she called, eyes narrowing. "Sam, this isn't funny!"

She couldn't hold back the scream that tore from her throat as the walls slammed together.

* * *

Castiel woke to the sound of the roar of the wind. The couch he'd occupied before being dragged into his dream creaked when he sat up.

"Cas?" He looked over to the doorway to find Dean and Sam. "Where's Tera?"

"Boys!" Missouri's worried voice drifted down the stairs from the hallway. "You better come up here, now!"

Castiel immediately appeared by Missouri's side, causing her to gasp and clutch her chest with one hand. The sound of boots clunking rapidly on the stars followed.

"How long?" Castiel asked, kneeling down to place a palm on Tera's forehead. The door of the guest bedroom flew open, Dean and Sam moving quickly to stand over them.

"Bobby and I figured you all needed your sleep, but I didn't notice anything wrong until about an hour later when I tried to wake Sam up," Missouri said quickly. "Bobby's at the store."

Castiel frowned and leaned back. "The barriers on her memories couldn't withstand the presence of an archangel."

"So what now?" Dean asked. Castiel's eyebrows furrowed as he met Dean's gaze. He understood that Castiel knew the most out of all of them and had easily handed over the reigns. Castiel internally shook off the thought.

"You and Sam will call Bobby. Check all the wards you have in place and prepare. Missouri and I will see what we can do to ease the process of Tera integrating with her memories."

Dean nodded and had turned to do as he was told when Sam stopped him.

"Wait, what are we supposed to prepare for?"

Castiel's lip tightened into a thin line. "Her awakening will be like a beacon to everything holy and otherwise. Only parties interested in Tera herself would dare come near so soon after..."

"Everything," Dean summed after a beat, turning once again to leave. "Got it."

"We must move to the safe room," Castiel carefully picked up Tera, who looked at something far off in the distance through eyelashes. Her chest shuddered each time she exhaled. He didn't see how he could manage chances were slim, perhaps one in three (_And a half? A quarter?_) trillion. The psychic helped, but faced with the reality of the numbers flashing through his mind's eye, it could easily mean nothing.

Castiel found himself in the safe room, Tera's fingers slowly loosening their grip on the lapel of his trench coat. Relief flushed through him at the sight of Missouri beside him, making his heart (_Jimmy Novak's heart?) _pound in a way that was bothering. Already, a problem. Castiel tried shoving the distractions aside as he placed Tera on the rail bed in the middle of the room. After a moment's hesitation (_Take a risk or be prepared? Trust or doubt Tera? Too many choices, which is right?_), he used the restraints leftover from Sam's detoxification to keep her secure.

"What are you doing?" Missouri asked, scoffing as though personally affronted. "She doesn't need to be chained!"

"Just a precaution," Castiel murmured, watching in futile as the numbers rose against them and sighed in resignation. Her grace's influence was leaking out the cracks in the barrier, reaching out and intertwining with his own, even if only for one bare moment at a time. He'd always found it curious how it felt... _alive. _Castiel suspected that it wasn't Tera herself that influenced others, but in fact her grace.

"C-cas..." a soft, slurred voice recaught his attention. She raised trembling fingers to the lapel of his overcoat and clutched them as tightly as she could, though it only ruffled the fabric slightly. "T-turn... me o-over... p-please."

Castiel nodded, released her from the restraints, gently turned her onto her stomach, and redid the restraints. She smiled weakly, a quiet gesture of gratitude, before she gasped and curled as far as she could, face scrunching in pain.

"It's beginning," Castiel said quietly, placing a hand on Missouri's shoulder. She looked at him, eyes clouded in confusion, before she relaxed in understanding. "Do you have all you need to know?"

Missouri nodded, chin raising in defiance. "I'll make sure she'll be alright, sweetheart. Don't you worry."

Castiel found himself sending a silent prayer to his Father.

* * *

"Do you hear that?"

Sam's question made Dean look up from the gun he was loading and listen. He frowned as panicked wimpers drifted from the safe room, and bolted towards the stairs to the basement when he heard them break into full-blown screams, gun in hand. He barged into the room to find Tera writhing against the chains that kept her tied down to the cot in the center of the room, Missouri and Castiel hovering over her with eyes closed and faces wrinkled in deep concentration.

"What's going on?" Sam asked, pushing past him. Her screams abruptly changed into frenzied snarls as she bucked with renewed energy. Sam rushed forward to hold her down as the restraint on one of her hands broke free. He fought to keep her fingernails from gouging out his eyes.

"Dean!"

Dean nodded, turned after a moment of watching Sam carefully, and retreated upstairs to continue preparing.

Tera continued shrieking, the sound of agony echoing mercilessly in his ears. His heart beat grew faster and faster as he felt himself beginning to panic. Was this normal? Would she live? Did this mean she was better, or worse?

"Sam!" Castiel's voice grounded him. "Cover your eyes!"

And then there was light.

* * *

She ran.

Where was he?

He'd promised _(No he hadn't, you stupid, naive little thing, he'd lied) _he would stop talking to Lucifer. To ease her worries, calm her fears.

Had he gone back to him?

She hoped he hadn't.

Lately, her brothers and sisters had been uneasy. Well, more than usual. She could hear their concerned mumbles (_They'll never fully accept that they're feeling fear_). Nothing was safe, not even him.

She stopped as the telepathic network that kept them all connected exploded. Lucifer's booming voice drowned out all the others, speaking the unspeakable.

**"No."**

She could feel the weary ache of her grace give her a new wave of strength, despite all the fighting against her brothers and sisters as they struggled for control.

So many had crumpled underneath her blade.

The others had accepted her, and those that fought beside her had felt their righteous indignation increase tenfold, thousandfold, millionfold.

And then she was clutching him - _finallyfinallyfinallyfinally._

_"Don't do this, Semiazas!" _

_"I can't do anything else."_

_"Don't leave me!"_

_"Never."_

And then he was clutching her, refusing to let go, meshing their grace together so tightly that she couldn't tell where she ended and he began.

She was hopeful at first, but quickly felt fear shoot through her.

_"I promise, you'll stay with me!"_

_"Stop, let go!"_

She felt as He cast Lucifer from Heaven.

_"Semiazas, please! I'm begging you!"_

And then her home disappeared, and she was hurtling toward Earth with her grace frozen in shock. She watched the long streaks of light as they Fell alongside her, unable to process what was happening and how and _why._

She awoke at the bottom of a large canyon, which she imagined looked like a jagged scar on the face of the earth, when an unspeakable rage rose within her and made her tremble.

She found him, still asleep in one of the lush green valleys between the huge range of mountains beside the canyon. She didn't hesitate beating him senseless with her bare hands. He fled in fear and then cowered when she caught up to him, begging her to stop. His words only made her fists hit harder, her eyes grow colder, her fire blaze hotter.

She felt grim satisfaction when she was done.

His blood made for very fertile ground.

* * *

Sam lowered his arm long after he'd felt the oppressing light disappear. The silence had stretched on for even longer, the last noise he'd heard being a soft whimper.

He froze, staring at the black wings protruding from Tera's black, falling limply on either side of the cot. They seemed to shine with barely contained light. Missouri was weeping silently, the tears streaming down her cheeks and onto the feathers. Sam could tell Castiel was struggling to remain passive as he released her restraints and lifted her sleeping figure, tucking the impossibly large wings neatly against her back.

Sam helped Missouri rise to her feet, allowing her to burrow her face into his arm, and soundlessly followed Castiel out of the safe room and up the stairs.

"We won't be needing any defences."

Sam watched as Dean opened his mouth and then closed it, unable to formulate the proper words. Bobby, who must've arrived sometime while they were all downstairs, grimaced and shook his head.

"No one will come for her in this state," Castiel continued. "She's resting."

The silence lasted for a few tense moments.

"What the fuck, Cas?" Dean growled, though the hint of relief overshadowed any anger that might've been there. "Why didn't you say that first? I thought she'd died! And what the hell are those things?"

"Tera is too weak and has been separated from her abilities for too long to properly control her wings," Castiel explained. "When she awakes, I will teach her."

Sam let out a relieved chuckle, squeezing a comforting hand on Missouri's shoulder. She sniffled and smiled up at Sam.

"Wait, she's got _wings?" _Dean asked. "Does that mean you have wings like that?"

"Every angel has wings, Dean," Castiel admonished lightly. Dean could've sworn his lips had twitched ever so slightly.

"God, Dean!" Sam crowed. "Way to be out of the loop!"

"Bitch."

"Jerk," Sam grinned.

* * *

_Whoops, I think I did the thing. I was actually planning to post this before I left for vacation on Friday, but I got lazy. The previous weeks were me dealing with stuff at home. Also, I lost about half the chapter at first and decided to sulk in _livejournal_ instead. That place is actually pretty great, though posting is hard because holy crap that's a lot of formatting. But yeah, I basically had to redo about a fourth of this chapter (which turned out better than my first run through in my opinion, even though it was written on my iPod at three in the morning because it was a million billion degrees in the room I was sleeping in and my sister was taking up like 4/5ths of the bed like the bed-hog she is and I couldn't sleep if my life depended on it) and I wrote half of it just now. I'm in Canada at the moment. I'll be sticking around till like end of July, early August. I got to see some of the flooding in Toronto. I absolutely adore the Tera memory near the end. I feel like it turned out fucking fantastic. *sigh* This is what happens when I get all excited and post both chapters at once. I fall behind and get discouraged and bleh. I'll try and fix it._

_I was trying not to laugh out laugh during the last bit. I reread it and realized it sounded like she'd died and I'm like nonono that didn't happen, I swear, and I was just cracking up, so I added it in to defuse the tension and then Sam happened and then _I_ was the one dying._

_**Emilyrose475**, **Mayrem**, my hat always comes off for you. I recommend listening to _Howl _by_ Florence + The Machine _for this particular chapter. I was using _Spotify_ to listen to ALL of_ Florence + The Machine_songs. _Mumford & Sons _also gets my seal of approval. I've been switching between the two for a while now. Does anyone know why earlier chapters have less views than later chapters, like wut? Chapter 3 has 81 while Chapter 4 has 84 and Chapter 7 has 30 while Chapter 8 has 33. I don't..._

**Nancy:** _Good news, not all stories end this way! Most of them on this site do, because most of the are works in progress still, so it can be hard to find one that's finished. Now that I've said that, there isn't more of my story than what I've posted because, well, work in progress. You can be informed of stories being updated by creating your own account on and favoriting/following the story. It'll automatically send you an email when the author posts a new chapter of that story, though this site is notorious for pooping all over itself. I'm ridiculously glad you liked my story so far, and hope this helped and you can find it again :)_

_Until next time, loves._


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